20 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



2. A rapid glance over the animal should next 

 occupy the veterinarian before attempting to handle his 

 patient. This generally reveals some special symptom 

 that the animal will not show so well when he gives 

 himself up to control. 



More especially is this latter advice to be followed 

 when the patient is a young, unbroken colt, or an animal 

 of an excitable, nervous temperament. Such patients, 

 directly man commences interference, seem to possess 

 the power of hiding the intensity of the pain they are 

 suffering, and to stand so quietly as to fully deceive the 

 rough and hasty observer. A few minutes' careful 

 watching in these cases will be productive of facts of 

 more real diagnostic help than the most thorough and 

 painstaking after examination. 



During this preliminary inspection such details as the 

 following may be noted : The amount of injection of the 

 nasal mucous membranes, the beat of the heart as counted 

 by the jugular pulsations, the amount of tympany 

 present, and the number and character of the respira- 

 tions. 



The respiratory movements are valuable. In extreme 

 distension of the abdomen the chest and diaphragm carry 

 on the breathing, the action of the abdominal muscles 

 being suspended. In enteritis and peritoneal inflamma- 

 tion the same thing occurs. In rupture of the diaphragm 

 the respirations are often similar to those of ' broken 

 wind,' and, owing to the pressure on this muscle, the 

 same appearance will be met with in extreme gastric 

 distension. In all bad cases of abdominal disturbance 

 the respiratory movements will be increased in number, 

 sometimes enormously, and the character of each respira- 

 tion altered from a noiseless movement to a gasping sob. 



All this may be noticed in the few minutes' quiet 



