i64 THE FARM DOCTOR. 



The symptoms of complete obstruction are those of severe 

 spasmodic colic, but without the intervals of complete freedom 

 from pain. It differs also from enteritis in that there is no rise 

 of temperature at first. The dung may be abundant at the 

 outset, but as the disease advances is more or less completely 

 suppressed, the portion of intestine behind the obstruction 

 having been emptied. The horse often seems to obtain a 

 partial temporary relief by sitting on his haunches or lying on 

 his back, and will retch, though vomiting is rare, unless the 

 stomach is ruptured. If the obstruction is in the pelvic flexure 

 of the large bowels it may be felt by the hand introduced 

 through the rectum. 



In ruminants the preliniinary colics may be followed by 

 quietude, but there remain extreme lassitude, depression, 

 sunken eye, and dry hot muzzle, and even stupor or coma, in 

 cattle the hand introduced into the rectum will detect the mass 

 of the over-distended bowel above the obstruction. It may 

 also ascertain the existence of a pouch imprisoning the gut in 

 the right flank and may even pull it out and relieve. 



In dogs violent colic may be absent, but there is much 

 depression, inappetence, vomiting of bile or fseces, arching of 

 the back, tucking up of the belly, the passage with much pain 

 and straining of mucus-covered faeces, and later, straining 

 without any passage, while the overloaded gut may easily be 

 felt through the walls of the belly. 



Treatment. — In most cases of absolute obstruction nothing 

 can be done except to relieve the pain by anodynes (opium, 

 belladonna, stramonium, Indian hemp, etc.), and leave to 

 nature. Invagination, volvulus, or gut-tie., when their presence 

 is ascertained in ruminants, pigs, or dogs, would warrant an 

 incision through the walls of the abdomen and an attempt to 

 rectify with the hand. In cattle the opening must always be 

 made in the right flank, the left being occupied by the paunch. 

 The wound must be aften^'ard carefully sewed up and the 



