422 DISEASES OF DIGESTION. 



sibly, the relative positions of its parts are altered from their normal 

 condition by some unusual cause, such as distension. Hence, in 

 ordinary spasmodic colic, without flatulence, I see no objection to 

 allowing a horse to roll. In fact it appears that twists and folds of 

 the intestines are often caused by preventing horses which have 

 colic, from lying down and rolling. The partial paralysis of the 

 intestine caused by aneurisms and emboli set up by palisade worms 

 (p. 402) is undoubtedly a frequent cause of twists and folds in that 

 portion of the alimentary canal. 



The SYMPTOMS are described as follows by Cadeac : " At first 

 m.ore or less violent colic tortures the animal, who is distressed 

 and anxious. His nostrils are dilated ; his lips tremble ; his jaws 

 are clenched ; his eyes, which are widely staring, are at first bril- 

 liant, but subsequently dull ; his back is arched and rigid ; he paws 

 the ground and looks round at his flanks. The pain increases in 

 intensity ; the horse sits on his haunches like a dog ; he works his 

 head up and down ; and makes disordered and jerky movements. 



" He may make attempts to vomit, which sometimes cause the 

 expulsion, through the nostrils, of a green liquid mixed with food, 

 and with a smell resembling that of the stomach. Occasionally, 

 by his violent efforts to vomit, he throws up small and hard par- 

 ticles of dung, covered with thick mucus, and sometimes accompa- 

 nied by gangrenous portions of the intestine. His belly and flanks 

 are painful to the touch, but are not much distended. The rum- 

 bling of the large intestine can be heard only at the beginning 

 of the attack." 



Mr. J. Gr. Rutherford states that " diagnosis is in most cases pos- 

 sible, owing to a very peculiar symptom almost invariably present, 

 and which I have not seen mentioned in the text books. I refer to 

 an odd, sudden, jerky crouch, caused, I think, by the pain from 

 the invagination of successive sections of bowel." 



The appearances after death are : local discoloration, from 

 inflammation of the strangulated bowel, and a thickened con- 

 dition of the affected intestine. These changes affect the entire 

 thickness of the bowel, that is, the mucous, muscular, and serous 

 coats. When the abdomen is opened, the twist, usually, becomes 

 undone; so that there is nothing to mark its previous existence, 

 except the discoloration, 



TREATMENT. — Curative measures are very uncertain in this 

 malady. As palliative treatment, it is best to give 1 oz. of extract 

 of Indian hemp. If we cannot obtain that drug, we may give 1 oz. 

 of chloral hydrate ; f oz. of opium ; 8 oz. of laudanum ; or inject 

 hypodermically 10 grains of hydrochlorate of morphine. Large 

 doses of linseed oil might be tried. 



