VISEASES OF ANIMALS 



103 



looking at his sides. The ahdomen is 

 distended, but not with gas. In treat- 

 ing this form of colic, large doses of a 

 cathartic should be given, such as Bar- 

 badoes aloes in one-ounce doses, calo- 

 mel in doses of 2 drams or a pint of 

 linseed oil; castor oil may also be given 

 to the extent of 1 pint to 1 quart. 

 Some veterinarians recommend Epsom 

 or Glauber salts in doses of 1 pound. 

 Enemas of turpentine (tablespoonful in 

 a quart of water) are also beneficial. 



Flatulent colic, also called wind 

 colic or bloat, is usually due to sudden 

 changes of food, too long fasting or to 

 the eating of excessive quantities of feed 

 after exhaustion. The symptoms do not 

 develop so rapidly as in spasmodic colic. 

 The horse appears dull, paws somewhat 

 and the pain seems to be continuous 

 from the start. The abdomen swells 

 and if the symptoms are not relieved, the 

 breathing and heart beat are violent and 

 rapid. The characteristic symptom of 

 the disease is the accumulation of gas 

 in the intestines. For this form of colic, 

 charcoal may be given in large quanti- 

 ties. Chloral hydrate may be adminis- 

 tered as a drench in doses of 1 ounce 

 in a pint of water. Spirits of ammonia 

 may also be given in water in one-ounce 

 doses. A cathartic should be used as 

 soon as possible, preferably Barbadoes 

 aloes, accompanied with rectal injec- 

 tions of linseed oil or turpentine. 



Spasmodic colic, also called cramp 

 colic, is the name commonly used for the 

 form of colic caused by contraction of a 

 part of the small intestines and is usu- 

 ally due to excessive drinking of water 

 or indigestible food. Cramp colic al- 

 ways begins suddenly. The horse stops, 

 stamps and looks back at his side. Pain 

 is shown by pawing, lying down, rolling 

 and getting up frequently. Each at- 

 tack is followed by an interval of ease, 

 during which the horse appears to be 

 entirely well. Soon after, the pain re- 

 turns with increased severity and the 

 intervals between the later attacks are 

 shorter. If the pain becomes very acute, 

 the horse may plunge to such an ex- 

 tent that he will seriously injure him- 

 self if kept in an ordinary stall. It is 

 commonly believed that high bred horses 

 with a round barrel are particularly sub- 

 ject to this disease. For the treatment 

 of cramp colic, chloral hydrate may be 

 used in one-ounce doses diluted in water, 

 or a mixture of 2 ounces each of sul- 



phuric ether and laudanum in a half 

 pint of linseed oil. If these materials 

 are not at hand, whiskey or Jamaica gin- 

 ger are useful. Blankets dipped in 

 water containing a little turpentine and 

 placed about the belly offer some relief. 

 A cathartic of aloes or linseed oil may 

 also be given with enemas of water con- 

 taining turpentine. 



Worm colic — Horses are also subject 

 to a number of intestinal parasites, in- 

 cluding at least three kinds of tape 

 worms, several small round worms and 

 the common long round worm of the 

 stomach. The intestinal worm most fre- 

 quently seen is Ascaris equorum. They 

 are white or reddish in color and 

 vary from 4 to 12 inches in length. 

 The symptoms of infestation with 

 worms are not easily recognizable but 

 the condition may be known from the 

 presence of worms in the feces. In treat- 

 ing this disease it should be remembered 

 that remedies are more effective upon 

 the worms if given after a long fast. 

 If round worms are observed in the 

 feces, it is well to give daily for three 

 or four days a drench containing 1 

 ounce of creolin and 2 or 3 ounces 

 of linseed oil, followed by 1 ounce of 

 Barbadoes aloes on the fourth day. 



Jaundice i s caused by the absorption 

 of the bile into the blood and may be 

 recognized by the yellow tinge of the 

 mucous membranes or even of the skin 

 in white or light gray horses. The dis- 

 ease occurs as a result of some liver 

 trouble and may best be treated in most 

 cases by the administration of calomel 

 in two-dram doses followed by 7 drams 

 of aloes. 



Peritonitis J s a serious inflammation 

 of the membrane lining the body cavity. 

 It is rarely seen as a primary disease 

 but frequently occurs as a result of care- 

 lessness in castration. Inattention to 

 the castration wound may lead to in- 

 fection which penetrates along the cords 

 into the body cavity. This disease is 

 usually ushered in with a chill, followed 

 by high fever, stiffness and pawing or 

 striking at the belly. The horse lies 

 down carefully, walks uneasily about the 

 stall and in the later stages of the dis- 

 ease prefers to stand. The flanks are 

 tucked up and the legs cold. The pulse 

 is hard, wiry and rapid, ranging from 

 70 to 90 beats a minute. Treatment 

 should consist in giving opium in the 

 powdered form in doses of from 1 to 



