56 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



in volume until it becomes a disgusting vomit. Saliva 

 hangs in strings from the muzzle ; the gurgling noise in 

 the oesophagus becomes louder and more frequent, and is 

 further augmented by the rattling of fluid ingesta that 

 has gained entrance to the trachea ; patchy perspirations 

 bedew the body, and the whole appearance is indicative 

 of the greatest concern and anxiety. 



Later, the animal becomes pulseless, delirium comes 

 on, and he staggers unconsciously round and round 

 his box. 



' Doing the Dead March !' mutters the veterinarian to 

 himself, turning aside to hide his vexation. 



Shortly afterw^ards the poor brute expires in convul- 

 sions, in his agony clutching the ground with his teeth, 

 as he draws his final gasps. The eyes recede, the limbs 

 stiffen, and the patient slave has finished his toil. 



Diagnosis. — A\^hen the case is fairly well advanced 

 this should offer no great amount of difficulty. As I 

 have stated before, attacks of tympanitic stomach are 

 somewhat deceiving at the outset, and the very mildness 

 of the early symptoms may lead the veterinarian to look 

 too lightly upon his case. At the most, however, from 

 one to two hours will produce unequivocal symptoms, 

 and the veterinary surgeon is able, wdth all confidence, 

 to set about treating the case. 



The manner in which the diagnosis may be proceeded 

 with is something after this fashion : The veterinarian 

 finds his patient so frantic with pain, so bedewed with 

 sweat, and his pulse so quickened as to immediately 

 suggest that dire disease ' enteritis.' He is relieved on 

 that score by an examination of the conjunctiva. It is 

 not of that ' raw-beef ' redness so invariably associated 

 with that fell malady. The respiration to his practised 

 ear suggests, in addition to pain, something of suffocating 



