852 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



frequent., as 90 or 100, and invariably very hard, small, and 

 wiry. The breathing is accelerated ; the belly is sometimes 

 painful to the touch, which never occurs in colic ; it is also 

 hot to the feel, and the pain, instead of remitting as in 

 colic, is constant, the extremities being cold, while the 

 surface of the body is often warm. The bowels are usually 

 constipated, and if any dung be evacuated, it is small, hard, 

 and in dry masses. The anus, if examined, will be found 

 very hot, and if the hand be intruded up, it will be felt 

 sometimes even internally inflamed ; it also, in many cases, 

 quivers with the intensity of the general affection. Fre- 

 quently, towards the later stage, there is some tympanitis, 

 or distension of the belly, which much aggravates the 

 general tenderness evinced on examination. The urine is 

 painfully evacuated in small quantities, and very highly 

 coloured ; sometimes it has much mucus suspended in it. 

 In th© progress of the disease these symptoms increase in 

 intensity : the distress of the horse is expressed by his 

 groans, his violent efforts to change his position, as if to fly 

 from his malady : while perspiration, partial or general, 

 breaks out, and is then succeeded by a chilly state, with 

 muscular twitchings; the pulse becomes more and more 

 hurried, intermittent, and at last nearly imperceptible ; the 

 respiration is as quick and irregular as the pulse, and 

 occasionally interrupted by a convulsive sigh. The vital 

 powers are now fast ebbing, and the animal sinks after a 

 few feeble struggles, or he parts with life with more violent 

 convulsive movements. 



Treatvient — We should immediately have recourse to 

 bleeding, and that as extensively as possible. For this 

 purpose a large opening should be made in the jugular 

 vein, or on© on each side, and from six to eight quarts 

 taken as quickly as possible, continuing the bleeding till 

 the pulse becomes almost imperceptible. The bowels being 

 costive, the dung should be removed by back-raking, and a 

 copious injection thrown up. A pint and a half of linseed 

 oil and one drachm of powdered opium may next be given ; 

 and a half pint of the oil, with half a drachm of opium, 

 may be repeated every six hours till the bowels are 

 relaxed ; the injections being also frequently repeated. 



The abdomen should be fomented with very hot water, 

 which should be continued for some time ; and it will 

 afterwards be very useful to apply hot sheep-skins, just 



