36 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 



walls, whilst the latter embraces the peritoneum covering the intestines. In 

 practice, there is very little difference between them, and the symptoms and treat- 

 ment are the same. It is a frightful disease, and soon runs its course to a fatal 

 termination ; beginning with shivering, cold legs, ears, and nose ; breath hot ; 

 pulse hard, quick, and small ; the expression is an anxious one, with a staring eye ; 

 the tail is pressed firmly against the anus, and there is intense tenderness of the 

 belly ; bowels generally costive, and urine scanty ; tongue dry and rough ; with 

 thirst and loss of appetite. As the disease advances all these symptoms become 

 aggravated, and very soon the dog dies, worn out with irritation and pain. 



The TREATMENT consists in full bleeding, with calomel and opium, of each a 

 grain every four hours. Blisters, or stimulating applications to the belly, and a 

 warm bath, will be beneficial in some few cases ; but whatever is done must be done 

 quickly, as the disease soon passes on to a fatal termination, if unchecked by 

 remedies. 



2. COLIC is very common in all kinds of dogs, and is partly of a spasmodic, 

 partly of an inflammatory nature. There is intense pain, coming on in paroxysms, 

 during which the dog howls with agony. Very often the attack is quite sudden, 

 and comes on after a full meal which has been eaten much as usual ; suddenly the 

 dog starts up, with something between a moan and a groan, and then lies down 

 again ; soon after there is another groan, and a shifting of the position, and then, 

 after an interval of rest, and perhaps sleep, there comes on a regular paroxysm of 

 pain, with violent howls, which soon, however, cease, only to be repeated at intervals, 

 varying in length according to the severity of the attack. The nose is not dry or 

 hot, the tongue is clean and moist, and the appetite even is not affected ; pulse full 

 and soft, and not much quicker than natural. There is no tenderness of the belly, 

 and pressure seems to alleviate the pain, rather than to increase it. 



The TREATMENT consists of giving ether and laudanum internally, in doses of 

 from thirty to sixty drops of each, and a clyster of turpentine and laudanum, one 

 teaspoonful of each in a half a pint of gruel. The stimulating embrocation, page 12, 

 should be well rubbed into the bowels ; and in bad cases a very hot bath may be 

 administered. When the colic comes on in young dogs, the injection of turpentine 

 with laudanum and a little ether will generally Suffice without any internal 

 medicine; but a dose of castor oil will almost always be necessary to carry off 

 the offending matter. 



Sometimes colic is followed or attended by INTUSSUSCEPTION, in which one 

 contracted part of the bowel is driven into the expanded part below it. It cannot 

 be distinguished from colic, and the animal is sure to die, unless an operation is 

 performed to liberate the bowel ; which might be easily done if the disease could 

 be discovered with certainty ; but, unfortunately, this is not the case. 



3. DIARRHCEA, or DYSENTERY, comes on either from epidemic causes, or from 

 some irritating and improper food, or from too violent aperient medicine. Unless 

 there is an epidemic raging at the time, or the diarrhoea is clearly connected with 

 distemper, the treatment should generally commence with a dose of castor oil, 

 having with it a few drops of laudanum. If this is not enough to stop the purging, 



