170 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



as the otlier, througli which a portion of the food had escaped ; 

 but the greater part still remained in the stomach, and con- 

 sisted of a prodigious mass of hay, corn, and wheat hulls. 



There are several cases on record of rupture of the intestines, 

 particularly of the colon. The last case that occurred under my 

 own observation was a rent of the ileum, at that portion to which 

 the mesentery is attached. The rupture extended about nine 

 inches in length, and the mesentery was split with it for a con- 

 siderable extent into two membranes, so as to prevent the food 

 from getting into the abdominal cavity. 



A sym[)tom that usually attends the rupture of the bowels, or 

 the stomach, is the spasmodic action of the muscles of the tail. — 

 Ed.] 



l_Sto}ies hi the Intestines 



Are not unfrequently found in horses : they are usually dis- 

 covered in the large guts ; but sometimes, though rarely, in 

 the stomach. They are generally found to consist of stony and 

 earthy particles mixed with the food, and having some hard 

 object, such as a pebble or nail head, in its centre. These 

 calculous concretions are more frequent with millers' horses 

 than with others, which is owing to the fact of their being fed 

 extensively on bran. Numerous minute particles of millstone 

 adhere to the bran, and having, perhaps, some accidental 

 nucleus, as before stated, they gradually collect around it, the 

 food assisting in the formation. The shape of these calculi 

 depends very much on the seat of their abode ; one in my pos- 

 session, taken from the stomach, is extremely irregular, and 

 consists of stony substance within, and a softer spongy surface 

 externally, formed chiefly by the food. The surface, though 

 irregular, like a mulberry, is covered by a black coat smoothly 

 polished. 



Another calculus in my possession is as round as a cricket 

 ball, and weighs upwards of six pounds. It was found in the 

 colon, and had acquired its globular form from rolling about in 

 this large intestine. The horse had belonged to a miller, and 

 had been accustomed to live mostly on bran ; he had for several 

 years been subject to the fret, but had generally relieved himself 

 by rolling about. These symptoms were no doubt produced by 

 the calculus becoming wedged in the smaller parts of the colon, 

 and which, by the struggles of the animal, again became dis- 

 l)laced, and then relief was afforded. At length it was so firmly 

 impacted that it could not be moved. A total stoppage took 

 place, and nothing passed by the rectum for several days, during 

 which the animal evinced much pain, lying down and rolling ; 

 but the position in which he appeared most relievod was that of 



