134 TTHE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



periods of freedom from acute pain, he may, notwith- 

 standing the fact that somewhat alarming paroxysms 

 occur at intervals, indulge in a more favourable forecast. 

 Such paroxysms as then occur may be taken as evidence 

 that the bowel is attempting to deal with the adverse 

 circumstances under which it is placed. In other words, 

 it is but a sign that the administered purgative is acting, 

 and that the obstruction is being moved. 



Treatment. — In no particular does this offer any 

 special difficulty. It is quite evident, even from the 

 commencement of the case, that what we have to treat 

 is a torpid condition of the bowel wall. After what I 

 have written in the previous chapter, therefore, I need 

 hardly say that, whatever else we do, we should carefully 

 abstain from the use of sedatives. They can but render 

 worse what is already a sufficiently bad case. Instead, I 

 again advise the exhibition of stimulants, and, in such a 

 case as this, we are wise if we suggest their administration 

 at very frequent intervals. The balls of ammonium 

 carbonate and nux vomica may, therefore, be given as 

 before, and followed up at intervals of a few hours with 

 other balls of ammonium carbonate, combined this time 

 with zingib. rad pulv. instead of the nux vomica. 



Quite early in the case a reliable purgative should be 

 administered. This may be either full doses of linseed 

 oil, or an aloetic ball of medium strength. Regarding 

 the latter, I have found that 6 drams is a suitable dose 

 for a large cart animal, while to a nag I make a practice 

 of giving somewhat less. All we have to bear in mind 

 in this connection is that the dose shall be such as to 

 allow of a vigorous stimulant treatment being afterwards 

 maintained without risk of superpurgation. 



While busy with the treatment, it is well for the 

 practitioner to mention to the owner the fact that in this 



