378 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



shakes himself, and begins to feed ; the respite, however, is 

 but short -the spasm returns more violently every indica- 

 tion of pain is increased he heaves at the flanks, breaks out 

 into a profuse perspiration, and throws himself more reck- 

 lessly about. In the space of an hour or two, either the 

 spasms begin to relax, and the remissions are of longer dura- 

 tion, or the torture is augmented at every paroxysm ; the 

 intervals of ease are fewer and less marked, and inflamma- 

 tion and death supervene. The pulse is but little affected at 

 the commencement, but it soon becomes frequent and contrac. 

 ted, arid at length is scarcely tangible. 



Among the causes of colic are, the drinking of cold water 

 when the horse is heated. There is not a surer origin of 

 violent spasm than this. Hard water is very apt to produce 

 this effect. Colic will sometimes follow the exposure of a 

 horse to the cold air or a cold wind after strong exercise. 

 Green meat, although, generally speaking, most beneficial to 

 the horse, yet, given in too large a quantity, or when he is 

 hot, will frequently produce gripes. Doses of aloes, both 

 large and small, are not unfrequent causes of colic. In some 

 horses there seems to be a constitutional predisposition to 

 colic. They cannot be hardly worked, or exposed to unusual 

 cold, without a fit of it. In many cases, when these horses 

 have died, calculi have been found in some part of the ali- 

 mentary canal. Habitual costiveness and the presence of 

 calculi are frequent causes of spasmodic colic. The seat of 

 colic is occasionally the duodenum, but oftener the ileum or 

 the jejunum ; sometimes, however, both the caecum and 

 colon are affected. Fortunately, we are acquainted with 

 several medicines that allay these spasms ; and the disease 

 often ceases as suddenly as it appeared. Turpentine is one of 

 the most powerful remedies, especially in union with opium, 

 and in good warm ale. A solution of aloes will be advanta- 

 geously added to the turpentine and opium. If relief is not 

 obtained in half-an-hour, it will be prudent to bleed, for the 

 continuance of violent spasm may produce inflammation. 

 Some practitioners bleed at first, and it is far from bad prac- 

 tice ; for although the majority of cases will yield to turpen- 

 tine, opium, and aloes, an early bleeding may occasionally 

 prevent the recurrence of inflammation, or at least mitigate 

 it. If it is clearly a case of colic, half of the first dose may 

 be repeated, with aloes dissolved in warm water. The stim- 

 ulus produced on the inner surface of the bowels by the pur- 

 gative may counteract the irritation that caused the spasm. 



