246 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



ever, that I have now said enough to lead those here who 

 have been in the habit of so using them to give the sub- 

 ject even more careful thought than they hitherto may- 

 have done. 



Cases of Colic in which Sedatives are of Service. 

 — Without venturing the rash statement that a sedative 

 is never of use in an attack of colic, I still give it as my 

 firm opinion that those cases in which it may be used 

 with any great advantage are extremely few and far 

 between. I will mention the chief. 



First in many practices will come the colic accompany- 

 ing superpurgation from a dose of aloes. There no 

 difference of opinion can possibly exist. In addition to 

 other remedies, a dose of crude opium or a hypodermic 

 dose of morphia is urgently called for, and, assuming the 

 case not to have advanced too far, it is attended with 

 good results. Even then a certain amount of tympany 

 will often result, which, however, quickly gives way to a 

 suitable stimulant treatment. 



Next in order of importance will come that form of 

 colic arising from the ingestion of irritating foods, as, for 

 example, new oats, mouldy or mow-burnt hay, or frozen 

 roots, in which purging is a prominent symptom. We 

 have in that an excited and irritated condition of the 

 bowel, with peristalsis in evidence beyond the normal, 

 and a sedative that does not too actively abate the peri- 

 stalsis may, perhaps, be given with benefit. At any rate, 

 it will stay the immediate pains. 



Here, however, the point may be raised as to whether 

 this purging is not a simple effort of Nature to relieve 

 the system of the offending material. It might even be 

 contended that, rather than check her, she should be 

 assisted in so relieving herself by the administration of 

 some mild diffusible stimulant combined with a bland 



