148 PERITONITIS. 



strikes at, although he only lightly touches his belly ; 

 looks at his flanks with a more sudden turn, and a 

 wilder gaze than during inflammation of the lungs ; 

 rolls, struggles violently ; lies upon his back, groans ; 

 the legs are cold ; the mouth dry, sometimes hot, and 

 rarely cold ; the membrane of the nose is a very little 

 reddened, sometimes paler than the natural hue; the 

 flanks heave violently ; the horse shivers and sweats ; 

 the pulse is quick and hard ; while the belly is hot and 

 exceedingly tender. The violence of the symptoms, 

 however, soon abates ; and the horse rapidly becomes 

 scarcely able to stand. 



This disease may be distinguished from colic by the 

 pain, which, though less violent, is without remission ; 

 also by the character of the pulse ; by the tenderness 

 of the abdomen ; and by the fasces being covered with 

 mucus. 



The treatment is plain. The patient must be bled ; 

 the stream must flow until the character of the pulse 

 has changed. In the early stage the horse will lose a 

 certain quantity of blood almost with advantage : but, 

 twelve hours having passed, the strength of the ani- 

 mal will be exhausted; and copious bleeding will not 

 be practicable, or, if it were, it would not be safe. 

 Then refuse to bleed, but in lieu of it, administer 

 drachm doses of aconite root in water, and repeat the 

 medicine every half-hour until the pulse amends its 

 character. Do this also, if after the bleeding the 

 pulse should again become hard or strong. 



The next thought should be about some agent to 

 relieve the bowels of their contents; which if retained, 

 would probably increase the disorder. Strong physic 



