COLICS IN THE HORSE 105 



bringing up with it large quantities of the gastric con- 

 tents. The stomach may then be washed out (lavaged) 

 by repeated injections of luke warm water to which sodi- 

 um bicarbonate has been added, siphoning out as much 

 as possible after each injection, although in old horses, 

 to avoid collapse of the patient, the water should be 

 allowed to remain in the stomach. If applied early, this 

 method will bring about recovery in nearly 100 percent 

 of the cases of primary dilatation, and fully 50 to 75 

 percent of secondary dilatation. 



Simple Impaction of the Bowel 



This colic is due to an accumulation of feces, which 

 remains more or less stagnant in some part of the bowel. 

 It is the most common form of colic we have. In the 

 Berlin clinics nearly 75 percent of cases of colic were due 

 to fecal stasis. Behrens reports 772 cases of colic, of 

 which 547 were simple impaction. 316 of these were 

 in the small bowels and 231 in the large. The propor- 

 tions are 4 to 3. 



Two forms of simple impaction may be recognized : 

 1. Impaction of the small bowels. 2. Impaction of the 

 large bowels. 



Impaction of the Small Bowel. — The usual symp- 

 toms of colic are present, i. e., suppressed peristalisis, con- 

 stipation or obstipation and on examination per rectum 

 the large bowels are found intact. In the early stages, at 

 least, or unless the case has been allowed to go on neg- 

 lected, the pulse, temperature and conjunctiva remain 

 practically normal. Hypodermic injections of arecoline 

 usuallv afford relief in from one-half to one hour, com- 

 plete recovery in three to six hours. Unless relieved, the 



