160 STRANGULATION AND CALCULI. 



administered: always, however, continuing the lauda- 

 num and sulphuric ether, which will in the end gene- 

 rally be successful. 



In some cases, however, all our labour is to no 

 purpose. The horse continues to swell ; he is blown 

 up as tight as a drum, and his breathing becomes 

 laborious. It will now be imperative to relieve him, 

 or the animal will die ; and a mode of treatment has 

 been suggested, founded upon the means used to re- 

 move the hoove in cattle, namely, to puncture the 

 caecum, as the rumen of the cow is sometimes punc- 

 tured. This might answer in the hands of a skilful 

 veterinary surgeon ; but no other person should at- 

 tempt the operation. It is often performed by the 

 French veterinarians; and has been lately recom- 

 mended by some Scottish practitioners. This danger- 

 ous operation, however, should only be employed as 

 a last resource. 



STRANGULATION AND INTROSUSCEPTION OF THE 

 INTESTINES. 



When the symptoms of severe spasmodic colic do 

 not readily yield ; either inflammation of the bowels 

 is at hand, or strangulation — twisting of the intestines 

 — may have taken place so as to cause an insuperable 

 obstruction to the passage of the feeces. Occasionally, 

 spasmodic action being long continued, one portion of 

 the gut will enter and be confined within a neighbour- 

 in^ portion ; and thus an insuperable obstruction will 

 be formed. No good can be done in either case ; and 

 we can only guess at what has taken place by the 

 obstinate costiveness of the horse : by the animal ex- 



