CHAPTER V 



ETIOLOGY: GENERAL EXCITING 



CAUSES 



In this chapter I intend to briefly enumerate such 

 exciting causes of coHc as will render repetition un- 

 necessary in future pages. As far as possible I shall 

 describe those circumstances and influences that are 

 commonly at work in the production of these disorders. 

 It will save me the trouble, and my readers the annoy- 

 ance, of repeating several times the same matter under 

 different headings. 



It matters but little in what district the practitioner of 

 veterinary medicine may pitch his tent, he will be certain 

 to find that far and away the most common cause of the 

 equine colics is the one that may be best described by 

 the single word ' domestication.' The horse, probably 

 more than any other animal, is under man's control and 

 at man's disposal. So long as he is allowed to roam the 

 fields, gathering his food in a rough and scanty manner, 

 taking his exercise as he himself sees fit, and resting 

 when nature dictates, so long will he remain a picture 

 of perfect health. Man steps in, and the colt's life of 

 freedom is at an end. 



The nature of his food, its quality and quantity, and 

 the frequency with which he may be allowed to partake 



