Colic a.nd Azatikea 255 



the stomach pump or the trocar. These two operations should 

 be employed only by veterinarians, but the results are woiu'erful 

 if administered in time. 



Excess of Paiihj Digested Food and Fecal Matter in the Digest- 

 ive Tract 



In addition to some of the general causes for colic mentioned 

 above we find that certain specific conditions predispose a horse to 

 this form of colic. Old, worn-out horses, or youni>' horses that 

 are out of condition, are more subject to impaction on account 

 of scanty secretions, loss of elasticity, and lack of nervous tone 

 to the bowels. Horses that are ravenous feeders and big hay eaters 

 — that eat their bedding in addition to their hay — are more 

 subject to this trouble, especially if they are light drinkers. It 

 occurs very fre(|uently during the winter months when, on ac- 

 count of less work for the horse, we feed less grain but increase 

 the amount of coarse, dry, bulky fodders. Horses that are fed 

 large quantities of straw are subject to this form of colic, hence 

 it has been called straw colic. Failure to drink enough water in 

 cold weather, or at any time of the year, is often the essential 

 cause, since a lil)eral amount of water in the digestive tract is 

 absolutely necessary for good digestion and to soften and moisten 

 the excess of dry food. In this way it assists in removing the 

 waste matter from the body. Lack of daily exercise conduces to 

 sluggish bowel action. 



Symptoms. These may be very slight or entirely absent at 

 first. As the excess of fecal matter may have been accumulating 

 for several weeks the horse is rarely stricken with intense pain 

 at first. The first day or two, and sometimes for a week or more 

 he may show colicky pains, manifested by pawing at intervals, 

 lying down and getting u}), lying down more than ordinarily, or 

 frequently lying out flat with head and limbs extended. There 

 is seldom much bloating, although the abdoaiien often presents 

 a general fullness throughout ; yet the reverse is often the case, 

 especially if the horse has eaten but little, when the a-bdomcn 

 appears puckered up. Sometimes the horse will seemingly pass 

 the ordinary amount of manure, though usually very little or no 

 manure starts, and this is often hard and sometimes coated with 

 a white, slimy mucus. In cases that set in rather abruptly 



