SUBACUTE OBSTRUCTION OF THE DOUBLE COLON 85 



careful crouching movements. As he stretches himself 

 out, he emits a long-drawn sigh, or a slight but lengthy 

 groan, and then Hes out at full length, for, it may be, an 

 hour at a time. While down, his pain is manifested by 

 his occasionally bringing the head round to the side, and 

 looking with anxious and troubled countenance towards 

 his flank. Also, the breath is held after the act of in- 

 spiration, and retained until the voluntary muscle is 

 overcome by the deoxygenated state of the blood in the 

 vessels of the brain. After lying for some time, he will 

 get up and exhibit the same set of symptoms again from 

 beginning to end. 



Dull Objective Symptoms. — Examination per rectum will 

 generally show that bowel to be empty, or containing at 

 the most a few small, hard, and mucous-covered lumps. 

 The bowel is sometimes, though not always, what is 

 termed ' ballooned,' and we may or may not notice violent 

 straining and attempts on the part of the animal at de- 

 faecation. It may be, however, in some cases that the 

 rectum is not empty, but full, to a state of impaction, 

 with material varying from a semi-fluid to a solid con- 

 sistence. The bladder is usually empty, and nearly 

 always other portions of the intestines can be felt crammed 

 to their full with impacted faecal matter. Ascultation of 

 the abdominal walls reveals not the slightest sign of peri- 

 stalsis. Sometimes there is an accompanying slight tym- 

 pany, and during auscultation we may then hear a peculiar 

 metallic tinkle, caused by some feeble attempt of the bowel 

 at peristalsis. Contrary to many, I attach no grave im- 

 portance to that sound — rather the reverse. The ex- 

 tremities are cold, and the mouth clammy and foetid. 

 When hereafter I allude to ' dull ' pains, I am referring to 

 the symptoms described above. Often, however, we may 

 have symptoms much more violent and alarming. 



