64 The Practical Stud Groom. 



constipation is present, the fact will be patent enough to 

 the watchful attendant. The foal, with tail erect, strains 

 violently to expell the hardened foeces, alternately galloping 

 clumsily round the box, owing to the attendant, pain. If 

 success does not attend these efforts in a few minutes, it is 

 well to render help without further loss of time. An 

 assistant takes the mare's head with the left hand, and 

 secures the foal round the chest with the right ; the operator 

 grasps the foal's tail near the root with his left hand, and 

 with as little force as possible introduces the well-vaselined 

 fore-finger of the right hand into the rectum, and gradually 

 removes the hardened dung. With a little practice this can 

 be done without removing the finger from the bowel. The 

 hand should be held with the palm upward to receive the 

 foeces as they are pushed out by the inserted finger. When 

 no more dung can be reached, insert one of the Glycerine 

 Suppositories (which can be carried behind one's ear in 

 readiness) ; push it, with the vaselined finger, as far up the 

 bowel as possible, then suspend operations for a time to allow 

 the suppository to act. " Glycerine acts by virtue of its 

 great affinity for water, in that it causes a rush of intestinal 

 fluid to the part of the bowels occupied by the glycerine." 

 (Capt. Hayes.) 



Mild cases of constipation usually yield to the fore- 

 going treatment, but in bad cases, although the glycerine is 

 presently evacuated, no excrement accompanies it, and the 

 foal strains as badly as ever. It will generally be found, 

 upon inserting a finger, that the bowel is quite empty, or the 

 hard impacted fo3ces can be touched by the finger tip, but 

 are just too far away to allow of the finger coiling round 

 and bringing them away. In that case an enema of half a 

 pint of warm water, containing a dessertspoonful of pure 

 glycerine, should be given. An ordinary enema pump, as 



