avery's own farrier. 299 



safety let the disease be what it may. Perhaps there 

 are no two diseases that the horse is liable to in the first 

 stages thereof, that is so difficult to distinguish one from 

 the other, as inflammation of the bow^els and of the lungs; 

 and add to these that of spasmodic colic; these make 

 three as dangerous ills as they are subject to. The colic, 

 however, is easily distinguished from inflammation, by 

 being sudden in its attack, and having intervals of rest 

 and ease, with the extremities not much altered as to 

 warmth, and the pulse but little changed, only evidently 

 fuller. In colic, the above medicine may be given with 

 the best result; laudanum and dried sweet flag root, 

 grated in, may be added to advantage, and physic in this 

 case will be proper. But in inflammation of the bowels 

 the order is reversed from that of colic. The legs and 

 ears are cold, the pulse much quickened, and the attack 

 and pain is more steady — in this case, as well as in 

 inflammation of the lungs, copious bleeding may be re- 

 sorted to with beneficial results to the patient, while 

 physicing would prove more disastrous. But to distin- 

 guish between inflammation of the bowels and inflamma- 

 tion of the lungs, recourse must be had to the manner in 

 which the horse stands, and the lining membrane of the 

 nose (which is the thermometer for the lungs). With 

 inflammation of the lungs, they will stand stiff, and wide 

 apart with the forward legs^ so as to give as much room 

 as possible for the lungs, and always choosing to stand 

 up — while with inflammation of the bowels they are 

 inclined to lie down; with inflammation of the Jungs 

 their breathing is not so regular (as that of the bowels), 

 being more hurried at times, and the membrane of the 



