54 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



During this time the patient has been gradually getting 

 worse, the pains have become more severe, and the 

 tympany more marked. The owner eventually becomes 

 alarmed and the veterinarian is sent for. 



The symptoms now presented are of an excessively 

 alarming nature. The unfortunate animal is in a bath of 

 perspiration ; his countenance is suggestive of the most 

 agonizing torture ; and, staggering blindly about, he is a 

 danger to himself and those about him. His pains have 

 rendered him unmanageable, and with the greatest diffi- 

 culty can he be kept upon his legs. That is one state of 

 affairs that meets the eye of the surgeon. 



In other cases a totally different set of symptoms will 

 be presented for his inspection. Instead of madly flinging 

 himself down, only to rise and rush in frenzy round his 

 box, the poor brute stands in patient agony. He appears 

 now to have some God-given instinct that violence will 

 only render worse his well-nigh hopeless case. He occa- 

 sionally makes quiet crouching attempts to lie, but stands 

 for the most part quiet. The distressed nature of his 

 respirations, however, and the pinched, haggard expres- 

 sion of his countenance reveal the intensity of his suffer- 

 ing, as, with appealing looking eyes, he turns from one 

 to the other of those standing by for help in his agony. 



In both cases examination reveals an alarming state of 

 the pulse and respirations. The pulse, weak in character, 

 is found to be hammering frantically at a rate of loo to 

 1 20 beats a minute, and the breathing of a painful, gasp- 

 ing, see-saw character — is accelerated from the normal to 

 as many as 140 to 150. 



Oftentimes the abdomen is found to be tensely 

 tympanitic ; rarely, it will be found to be about the 

 normal, no noticeable distension, and peristalsis evident 

 on auscultation. In those cases where abdominal dis- 



