98 COLICS AND THEIR TREATMENT 



Suggested Plan for Treating Cecal Impaction 



In the event of my again meeting with a case of im- 

 paction of the cecum I have decided that I shall de- 

 pend principally upon water to remove it. After having 

 made a positive diagnosis, I shall first thoroughly empty 

 the remainder of the alimentary tract by saline purga- 

 tives administered through the stomach catheter and with- 

 hold all food. Following this I shall use the tube not 

 once but many times a day and each time I shall pump 

 in just as much water as I may judge, by back pressure 

 on the pump, that the horse will stand. 



If this fails, after having thoroughly washed out the 

 rectum, I shall carry in through this clean gut a trocar 

 which I shall plunge through the rectal wall into the im- 

 pacted cecum ; to this I shall attache a tube and pump in 

 a lot of water, in an endeavor to mechanically loosen the 

 obstruction. 



These two methods may seem rather far fetched and 

 the latter, of course, is risky to say the least; but I am 

 satisfied that no common means will relieve this condi- 

 tion. 



Successful Non-Surgical Treatment for Impaction of 



the Rumen 



In defense of my plan to introduce a large quantity 

 of water through the stomach tube I will cite a similar 

 condition, that of true impaction of the rumen in bovines, 

 in which I have heard very pleasing results from the use 

 of this method. 



I never had a true case of complete impaction of the 

 rumen recover without rumenotomy until I conceived of 

 the idea of passing a stomach tube far into this great 



