168 HOW TO PHYSIC A HORSE. 



served. These ailments, especially, are of common occur- 

 rence with the horse, of highly dangerous character, and 

 so rapid in thsir development and increase that, if steps 

 be not taken for their relief almost immediately after their 

 commencement, all treatment will be useless; — these are 

 spasmodic colic, inflammation of the bowels, and inflam- 

 mation of the lungs. 



The two former of these have, in their early symptoms, 

 a close resemblance one with the other ; and as the treat- 

 ment of the two should be very different, it is necessary 

 to be exceedingly careful, and to be well acquainted with 

 the diagnosis of the two ailments before attempting to treat 

 the patient, as a mistake might well be fatal, while a delay 

 is almost surely so. 



"The attack of colic," says Mr. Youatt, " is usually very 

 sudden. There is often not the slighest warning. The horse 

 begins to shift his posture, look round at his flanks, paw 

 violently, strike his belly with his feet, lie down, roll, and 

 that frequently on his back. In a few minutes the pain 

 seems to cease, the horse shakes himself and begins to 

 feed ; but on a sudden the spasm returns more violently, 

 every indication of pain is increased, he heaves at the 

 flanks, breaks out in a profuse perspiration, and throws 

 himself more violently about. In the space of an hour or 

 two either the spasms begin to relax and the remissions 

 are longer in duration, or the torture is augmented at 

 every paroxysm, the intervals of ease are fewer and less 

 marked, and inflammation and death supervene." 



As all the more violent symptoms of this disease and 

 of acute inflammation of the external coats of the intes* 

 tines, such as looking round at the flanks, pawing, kicking 

 at the bell}^ rolling violently, and, in a word, all the man- 

 itbstaticMis of excessive pain are nearly identical, and, as 

 tlio causes which lead to the two diseases are also nearly 



