DISEASES OF THE BOWELS. 163 



DiarrUoe.a. — Dysentery, Molten Grease. 



[Inflammation of the mucous coat of the intestines has been 

 considered as of two kinds, which have been distinguished as 

 Diarrhoea and Dysentery ; the former supposed to affect more 

 particularly the small, the latter the large, intestines. 



This distinction, however, can rarely be applied to the horse; 

 for we find that when a horse dies from superpurgation, the 

 large intestines are inflamed as much as the small. The two 

 diseases, however, are often confounded together. — Ed.] 



Diarrlicea. 



[The principal symptom of diarrhoea is frequent evacuation 

 of the ftcces in a liquid state. This may simply arise from irri- 

 tation of the mucous and muscular coats ; there may be no actual 

 inflammation, and but little constitutional disturbance ; but if 

 the horse is worked in this state, or improperly treated, inflam- 

 mation will quickly supervene, and the symptoms become 

 greatly aggravated. 



Inflanmiation of the mucous membrane may, however, occur 

 from the beginning, and then the pulse is exceedingly quick and 

 ■weak, the extremities cold, and lumps of slimy mucus mingled 

 Avith the fteces, wiiich are sometimes dark, oft'ensive, and tinged, 

 with l)lood. 



The causes of diarrhoea are, over-exertion, exposure to cold, 

 drinking very freely of cold water, and, still more frequently, an 

 over-dose of physic. Horses with short ribs and light carcasses, 

 usually called washy horses, are j)redisposed to this disease, and 

 in them anything which disturbs the system generally is almost 

 sure to affect the bowels. Some years since, when it \vas the 

 custom to administer eight and ten drachms of aloes as a connnon 

 purgative, super[)urgation was extremely frequent, and hundreds 

 of horses died in physic, as it was termed. 



Treatment. — If purgation is the only symptom, and there is 

 no active inflammation present, the mischief is readily stopped 

 by the administration of the following medicine, in thick gruel 

 made from wheat flour : — 



Powdered opium 1 dr. 



Powdered catechu 2 dr. 



Prepared chalk 1 oz. 



Even if inflammation is present, we had better administer the 

 same medicine, either in gruel or in boiled stai'ch, and repeat it 

 every four hours until the purging ceases ; half an ounce of pow- 

 dered gum arable may be added to the medicine, or after a while 

 substituted for the catechu. The body should be kept warm by 



M 2 



