Book VII. DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 9S3 



following : Powdered ipecacuanha, a drachm ; powdered opium, a scruple ; liquid arrow-root, eight 

 ounces. Should this not check the evacuation, and should it continue as mucous as at first, again give 

 castor oil, and then follow it up by either of the drinks directed for the cure of scouring or looseness. 

 {Fet. Pharm. 6552.) 



6473. Diarrhoea or looseness. This complaint originates in an increased peristaltic motion of the 

 intestines, with an increase of their watery secretion, and is distinguished from dysentery by the purging 

 being complete from the first, and seldom occasioning much fever or disturbance in the general health, 

 unless exceedingly violent. The stools are merely solutions of the aliment, and unmixed with mem- 

 branous films as in dysentery or molten grease. It sometimes succeeds to over-strong physic ; at others 

 the food itself enters into new combinations, and forms a purge. Some horses have their bowels consti- 

 tutionally weak, as lank-sided small-carcased ones, where the mechanical pressure hurries the contents 

 forwards' Salt mashes and sea water will purge horses violently sometimes. In violent cases, horn down 

 liquid starch, and throw up the same by clysters. Give astringents {Vet. Pharm. 6552. No. 1.) two or 

 three times a day ; keep the animal warm and quiet. In the milder cases and in habitual scouring change 

 the food. The change should be generally from one more moist to one less so, as beans, &c. Barley will 

 sometimes stop looseness ; malt usually increases it. Buck-wheat is often a check to habitual diarrhoea. 

 Efficacious astringents will be found in the Vet. Pharm. (6552.) Repeat either of these night and morning. 

 Give but little water and that little warm. 



6i74. Colic, flatulent or spasmodic, called also gripes, fret, or gullion, is an important, because a 

 frequent, disease, and because it frequently destroys eitner quickly by its irritation, or by its degenerating 

 into the red or inflammatory colic, when improperly treated or long continued. It is usually very sudden 

 in its attack. 



6475. The causes qf colic are not always appaient. It is sometimes occasioned by intestinal stones, 

 which accumulate to a great size, remaining for years in the cells of the colon, until some accidental dis- 

 placement occasions an interruption to the peristaltic motion. Cold in its various forms is a parent of 

 colic ; but under the form of cold water given when a horse is hot it is most common. In some horses it 

 is so frequent as to become a constitutional appendage. 



6476. The distinguishing marks between colic and inflammation qf the bowels are gained, according to 

 Blaine, by attending to the following circumstances : In gripes the horse has violent fits of pain, but they 

 remit, and he has intervals of ease. The pain in red colic is more uniform and less violent. In gripes, 

 the pulse is, in general, natural ; in red colic it is quicker than natural, and commonly small. The ex- 

 tremities are not usually cold in gripes ; in red colic they usually are. In gripes, the horse attempts to 

 roll on his back, which in red colic he seldom does. There are no marks of fever with gripes, as red eye- 

 lids, inflamed nostrils, &c. ; but in red colic they are always present. When spasmodic colic has con- 

 tinued some hours, it is always proper to bleed to prevent its ending in inflammation : bleeding in the 

 mouth is quite useless. Back-rake, and throw up clysters of warm water, one after another, as fast as pos- 

 sible, which otten overcomes the irritation. La Fosse recommends a curious remedy; but as it can always 

 be obtained, and has the sanction of long experience, it may be tried. An onion is pounded and mixed 

 up with some powdered savin; in default of which, use powdered ginger. This is to be introtluced up 

 the rectum as high as possible, and the horse is to be then moved briskly about. An onion put up the 

 fundament whole has long been a domestic remedy. The following is recommended by Blaine : Spirit of 

 vitriolic cether, an ounce ; powdered opium, one drachm, ; oil of turpentine, three ounces; warm ale, a 

 pint. He also recommends the following more simple remedy as always at hand : The expressed juice of 

 two or three large onions, comrnon gin, common oil, of each half a piyit ; mix and give. White recom. 

 mends a pint of brandy, or of gin, with water, as an excellent carminative. Clark, who has expressly 

 written on gripes, extols the virtues of a mixture thus made; which, if it have the qualities he attri- 

 butes to it, and which there is no reason to doubt, no agriculturist, coach or post master should be 

 without it : Pimento berry, called also allspice, ground fine, half a pound ; spirits of wine, and of water, 

 qf each a pint and a half : infuse these together, and keep for use. Give a quarter of a pint every 

 hour until full relief is obtained ; hand rubbing, w^isping, or fomenting the bowels with hot water at 

 the time. 



6477. Inflammation of the intestines from wounds in the belli/ frequently occurs ; and these injuries may 

 happen in leaping over hedges or pale gates, or may be inflicted by the horns of a cow." Sometimes the 

 strong tendinous covering of the belly is ruptured, while the skin remains entire ; the gut then protrudes 

 and forces out the skin into a tumour. The first thing to be done is to put the gut back, taking care at 

 the same time, otherwise extensive inflammation follows, to remove any dirt or other matter that may be 

 sticking to it ; for which purpose, should it be found necessary, it may be washed with warm water, but 

 with nothing stronger. If the gut cannot be returned, from its being full of air, and the opening in the 

 belly be too small to put it back again, such opening may be carefully enlarged to the necessary size ; but 

 if the animal can be thrown upon his back conveniently, a great deal may be done that cannot otherwise 

 be accomplished. After the gut is returned the skin only should be stitched up, and a cushion of several 

 folds of old linen and tow being placed in the wound, it should be kept in its situation by means of a wide 

 bandage rolled round the body, and carefully secured. The animal should then be copiously bled, and 

 have his bowels emptied by clysters. The only food he should be allowed is grass, or bran mashes, and 

 that only in moderate quantity. When the distention of the intestines wholly prevents their return, it 

 would be prudent to puncture them with a very fine instrument, and thus to suflTer the air to escape, 

 which, although subjecting the horse to the risk of inflammation, is better than the certainty of death by 

 having the intestines protruded. 



6478. Wo7-ms of horses are of several kinds. First, bots in the stomach ; but which, as they mostly attach 

 themselves to the hard insensible part of that organ, seldom do harm. Clark fancifully supposes they do 

 good, and devises means for furnishing them when not in existence. The bot is the larva of the (E strus 

 ^qui, a fly which deposits its eggs, it is supposed, on the grasses on which horses feed, and probably on 

 parts of the horse himself, from whence they pass into the stomach by the food or by being licked off! 

 Certain it is they get there, are hatched, and there remain hanging to the coats of it by two tentacuht;, 

 receiving the juices of the masticated food as nutriment. After a considerable time they make their way 

 out by the anus, drop on the ground, and are first transformed into chrysalids, and afterwards into parent 

 flies. When bots fix themselves on the sensible portion of the stomach they may do harm ; but no 

 medicine that we know of will destroy them. The tires, or large round worm, sometimes occasions mis- 

 chief, when it exists in great numbers, such as a staring coat, binding of the hide, irregular appetite, and 

 clammy mouth. The best remedy is the SpigMia marylandica or Indian pink, in daily doses of half an 

 ounce. Tie^nia are not common in the horse; now and then they exist, and are best combated by weekly 

 doses of oil of turpentine, three ounces at a time, mixed by means of the yolk of an egg with half a 

 pint of ale. The A'scaris or thread-worms are best removed by mercurial purgatives. The existence of 

 worms may be known by the appearance of a yellow matter under the tail, and by the disposition the 

 horse has to rub his fundament. Blaine recommends the following vermifuge : Powdered arsenic, eight 

 grains ; pewter or tin finely scraped ; Venice turpentine, half an ounce : make into a ball, and give every 

 morning. He also recommends salt to be given daily with the food; which agrees with our own expe- 

 rience as one of the best vermifuges known. It is a fact acknowledged by the residents along the sea- 

 coast, that horses troubled with worms will often voluntary drink largely of sea water, and thus cure 

 themselves. 



6479. The diseases of the liver are acute inflammation or hepat)tis, and chronic inflammation or yellows. 

 Hepatitis is the acute inflammation of this organ, which, like the lungs, stomach, and intestines, may 

 spontaneously take on the affection. The svmptoms are not unlike those which attend red colic, but with 



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