DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 51 



from the stomach and intestines, and as a result, 

 digestion is interfered- with, the mass undergoes 

 fermentation, causing pain or cramps. Overfeed- 

 ing loads the intestines, often resulting in spasms. 

 A change of food, as changing from old hay to new, 

 or from old oats to new and also green food, large 

 quantities of cold water on an exhausted stomach, 

 exposure to cold, anything which irritates the 

 nerves of the intestines, will sometimes cause 

 spasms, thus we often have spasmodic colic with- 

 out any apparent cause. Symptoms: The horse 

 paws with his fore feet, crouches, shifts about, 

 looks around at its side, lies down, rolls on his back, 

 gets up and shakes himself, stands quiet for a few 

 seconds or minutes, then goes through the same 

 performance. When the cramps are very severe 

 he will throw himself down, no matter where he 

 may be, sweat breaks out over the body, the breath- 

 ing becomes fast and heavy, the eyes are promi- 

 nent and staring, there is an expression of anguish ; 

 there is a pause for a few minutes, but the symp- 

 toms soon return and are often aggravated, but by 

 degrees the attacks are fewer and farther between, 

 and the animal recovers. In other cases the pulse, 

 which was at first not much affected, now becomes 

 fast and weak, from eighty to one hundred; the 

 brain becomes deranged and it tosses to and fro, 

 the belly becomes tense, the legs cold, and a cold 

 sweat breaks out, the legs tremble, the lips are re- 

 tracted, and the horse dies. The principal symp- 

 toms which denote that it is spasmodic colic are 

 the intervals of relief from pain. Treatment. — 



