886 DISEASES AND THEIE TBEATMENT. 



as in pleurisy, but soft and compressible, and the respirations are 

 quick and hollow. If the ear be applied to the breast, a rattling 

 sound can easily be detected; the bowels are inactive, and the ap- 

 petite is gone. Death may occur in from three to five days. 



Treatment the same as for laryngitis, explained on page 845 ; 

 counter-irritation to the throat, and if there is fever, give fever 

 medicine or aconite, as for pneumonia. If the cough is very dis- 

 tressing, give the following every night and morning : 



1 drachm extract of belladonna. 



2 scruples powdered digitalis. 

 1 drachm camphor. 



1 scruple powdered opium. 



COLIC. 



Colic is so common as well as dangerous a difiiculty, often 

 proving fatal in a few hours, that it is of the greatest importance 

 to know what to do, and to be able to do it promptly when it oc- 

 curs; since, if treated properly, it is rare that it cannot be re- 

 lieved without difficulty; whereas, if neglected, or not treated 

 properly, as stated, it frequently results in the death of a valuable 

 horse. 



There is no disease about which there seems to be so much 

 difference of opinion among horse-men. When the horse is taken 

 sick suddenly, showing the symptoms of colic, the owner, or some 

 neighbor called in who is presumed to know, assumes at once it is 

 caused by bots; another supposes it is belly-ache; while a num- 

 ber of others who may be present, are equally positive in stating 

 what they believe to be the cause of the trouble. The treatment, too, 

 is on the same principle, equally doubtful, if not ridiculous. The 

 first and most common remedy is plunging a knife into the roof 

 of the horse's mouth to bleed, so as to give blood to the bots, or 

 relieve the colic, or "whatever it is" ; this hap-hazard cutting is lia- 

 ble to sever the pallet artery, and endanger the horse's bleeding to 

 death. I have several times, when traveling, been called to treat 

 cases so gashed in the mouth that they would have bled to death 

 if not stopped promptly. (See Bleeding further on.) The next 

 resource is, running the horse up and down the street, or kicking 

 him in the belly, giving sweet milk and molasses, including a 

 variety of other remedies advised by friends. No one would pre- 



