92 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



trolled by cerebro-spinal centres and nerves, notably the 

 vagi and the splanchnics. Here, then, is pointed out 

 a ready and open road to a correct treatment, and one 

 which may be followed without the aid of a single dose 

 of purgative medicine. Give a large enough dose of 

 a cerebro-spinal stimulant, and theoretically the case 

 should at once begin to mend. Practice in this case, 

 I can confidently state from experience, only bears the 

 theory out. To make my standpoint clear, I must 

 analyze a few of the actions of the more important drugs 

 used in everyday practice in the treatment of this dis- 

 order. As in this chapter I determine to direct attention 

 to what I believe to be the dangerous practice of giving 

 aloes, and to the greater success following a nervous 

 stimulant treatment, I shall confine myself to a few 

 drugs under those headings, concluding with a brief 

 paragraph on the use of anodynes and sedatives. 



{a) Aloes- — Reasons advanced in favour of its administra- 

 tion : It causes a purge, not only of the bowels, but 

 also of the blood. While in contact with the intestine 

 it produces secretion peristalsis. It also increases the 

 flow of bile. 



Reasons why it should not he itsed : i. The length of 

 time it takes to act (sixteen to twenty-four hours) is 

 much too long to have to wait in the horse for an action 

 of the bowels. That must be evident to everyone in 

 view of the short time that is occupied in the passage 

 of the food through the digestive organs. 



2. We are waiting then for a something only pro- 

 blematical ; for oftentimes it never acts at all, but is 

 excreted wholly by the kidneys, causing hyperaemia of 

 those organs and diuresis. 



3. The drug is always more or less nauseating. 



4. Its effects are confined mainly to the large intestine ; 



