SPASMODIC COLIC. 155 



of a peculiar spasmodic nature, and commonly attended with a 

 slight degree of inflammation. 



The symptoms are dulness, loss of appetite ; th« nose is hot, but 

 the forehead particularly so ; with some panting, and much rest- 

 lessness. In some cases, there are appearances of acute occasional 

 pain ; in others there is seen but little ; but in all there is a parti- 

 cular stupor, and a very remarkable inclination to run round in a 

 circle, and that always in the same direction. The sight seems 

 affected, and sometimes the senses are wholly lost at others, al- 

 though the stupor is considerable, yet the faculties are not totally 

 obscured. In other cases, paralysis comes on, and the head be- 

 comes drawn to one side ; and I have always observed it to incline 

 to the same side that, while capable of moving, the dog turned 

 upon. The limbs also participate in these extreme cases, and be- 

 come contracted likewise. It is necessary to observe, that lead 

 received into the stomach will also produce all these symptoms 

 occasionally. 



The duration of the complaint is various. It sometimes destroys 

 in a few days, while some cases linger two or even three weeks ; 

 but eventually five out of every six attacked with it, die. On 

 dissection, slight marks only of inflammation usually appear ; and 

 now and then intussusception is present ; but in all, portions of 

 the bowels in a contracted state are met with, while portions again 

 seem larger than usual, and are flabby and unnaturally relaxed, as 

 though they had lost all their tone by the disease. The most 

 attentive dissection of the head, in these cases, has never detected 

 any morbid appearances there, except, in one or two instances, a 

 slight increase of vascularity. The aff'ection of it, therefore, 



the consequence of a fortunate termination, which seems always the result of 

 applications to the intestinal track, and also the absence of morbid phenomena 

 of any extent in post-mortem examinations of the brain, the probabilities seem 

 to incline to the idiopathic seat being within the bowels themselves ; always 

 bearing in mind, that the first reason is the most cogent of the two ; for the 

 absence of cerebral marks of disease is no proof of morbid action not having 

 gone on. The matter is worthy of all the observation and all the consideration 

 of the veterinarian. 



