130 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



that I have ran almost to the end of my tether — or, rather, 

 have already enumerated them — and must again refer my 

 readers to former chapters, allowing them to use their 

 own discretion in each particular case as to which special 

 causative factor they should give prominence. Still, 

 there are one or two circumstances that merit special 

 mention. 



Foremost should come consideration of the duodenal 

 S-trap. It is not hard to conceive of the possibility of 

 this being a likely position for obstruction. Pressed, as 

 it sometimes is, between the stomach and a distended 

 colon, it w^ould be remarkable if obstruction did not 

 occur. Neither is it difficult to imagine that food im- 

 perfectly masticated and passed on in a half-digested or 

 acid condition from the stomach, and consequently unfit 

 to be acted upon by the bile, should tend to stagnate in 

 the duodenum. 



Following this, those morbid conditions of the liver 

 that are instrumental in bringing about these disorders 

 should be given attention. I, in common with many 

 others, have noticed that prolonged feeding on rich 

 nitrogenous foods will bring about a plethoric condition 

 of the body that makes its first appreciable appearance in 

 some disturbance of the liver functions. The animal 

 becomes bilious. Congestion of the liver, or the 

 diminished flow of bile from any cause, may, then, be put 

 down as a factor in the production of duodenal obstruc- 

 tion, for, with a lessened flow of bile, the digestion is 

 imperfect, and a tendency to stasis is occasioned. 



Symptoms. — Almost invariably the pains that ac- 

 company this disorder are those of an extremely dull 

 type — even more dull than those that have already been 

 described as dull pains. Pain of a degree there certainly 

 is, but a certain amount of time must be given over to its 



