TWISTS OF INTESTINES. 421 



dung gives off a peculiar odour which is characteristic of intestinal 

 inflammation. By passing the hand into the rectum " one feels the 

 distended colon (large intestine), which may for the moment be 

 mistaken for the over-filled urinary bladder, but careful examina- 

 tion reveals its real nature. The longitudinal muscular bands can 

 be distinctly felt, and show, not only that we have to do with the 

 colon, but also in w^hat direction torsion has occurred. When the 

 bowel is in its proper position, they run nearly parallel with the 

 long axis of the body ; but in twists, a change in their course is dis- 

 tinctly appreciable " (Dollar's translation of MoUer's " Surgery "). 

 " Owing to the intense pain, the animal assumes various attitudes, 

 which are in no way characteristic, because they are seen in all 

 kinds of intestinal strangulation. He may lie down in the position 

 of the Sphinx; sit on his haunches like a dog; lie on his back 

 with his legs dra^^^l up; kneel down; work his head up and down, 

 as horses do when suffering from strangulated hernia ; get on. his 

 legs, while shrieking with pain ; rear ; grind his teeth ; show 

 signs of madness; or throw himself on the ground, like an inert 

 mass. His face expresses extreme depression and sadness. His 

 body is covered with sweat; and his ears and limbs are extremely 

 cold" (Cadeac). 



Unless the normal position of the bowel be mechanical I3" re- 

 stored, the attack, as a rule, terminates fatally is from one day 

 to a week, according as the stoppage is complete or partial. In 

 the horse, as in man, the chief cause of twist of the colon is pro- 

 bably habitual constipation. 



2. By invagination {intussusception), which, in nearly all cases, 

 is confined to the small intestine (Cadeac). This accident occurs 

 when one portion of the intestine (almost always the upper) passes 

 into the part next to it. Thus, an intussusception consists of 

 three thicknesses of intestine on each side. If double, there will 

 be five thicknesses. The causes are obscure, and the symptoms 

 are somewhat similar to twist. Inflammation occurs from this 

 altered position of the intestine, and the two serous coats which 

 come together, become more or less united. Intussusception is 

 also a frequent post-mortem appearance. When it occurs after 

 death, there is an absence of inflammation of the part, and the 

 fold can be readily jDulled out; as there was no attempt at union 

 between the two serous coats which were temporarily in contact. 



CAUSES. — Never having seen an instance of twist of the intes- 

 tines caused by struggling on the ground, however desperate it 

 might be, in many hundreds of cases of horses which I have made lie 

 down in horse-breaking experiments, I am strongly of opinion that 

 such violent movements never induce twist of the bowel ; unless, pos- 



