220 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



received, and may not always be taken as evidence of 

 pain. Prognosis — nay, even diagnosis — should be 

 extremely guarded in such a case. 



If, on the other hand, the animal has been allowed to 

 remain without interference in the place in which he was 

 taken ill, the veterinary surgeon will start with a * clean 

 slate.' That will give him great facilities he should not 

 fail to take advantage of. On no account should the 

 animal be immediately haltered and handled, for most 

 certainly that will effectually mask what symptoms he 

 may be presenting. He should be quietly watched, and 

 the few signs he shows carefully estimated. The in- 

 formation likely to be derived from this preliminary 

 observation I have already detailed in the chapter ' How 

 to Examine the Patient.' Even then the veterinary 

 surgeon must take into consideration the class of horse, 

 and probable temperament, with which he is dealing. In 

 a high-bred, nervous animal, the unusual position in 

 which he finds himself (that of unknown, and to him un- 

 accountable, pain) and his natural timidity make him in 

 many instances altogether hide his distress. He may be 

 suffering untold agonies. Yet he stands quiet, and only 

 reveals the intensity of his torment by such signs as may 

 be noticed by this introductory ' look round.' 



Our next patient, with nothing really serious ailing 

 him, may roll and smash about to an alarming degree, 

 is more subdued when caught and handled, and lends 

 himself well to manipulative examination. 



These are the two extremes. There are all gradations 

 between the two, and the veterinary surgeon must in 

 each instance judge the case from its own standpoint. 

 Care should be taken to notice the way in which the 

 patient takes a drench. If he is at all restive and in- 

 clined to fight against it, it should be withheld, and the 



