INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION. I79 



of the horse after about twelve hours of the most excruciating 

 agony. In cases where the A^ux vomica treatment does not avail 

 in two or three hours to effect relief, at all events in some degree, 

 and the animal seems to be getting worse and experiencnig severe 

 attacks of pain, evincing growing weakness and prostration, it is 

 better to anticipate the worst, and afford the poor animal some ease 

 by the administration of an anaesthetic, such as two ounces of 

 Chloral hydrate dissolved in a quarter pint of water and given per 

 mouth, or repeated subcutaneous injections of Morphia — this, for 

 humanity's sake, is the course w^e adopt where the prospect of a 

 temporary cure seems unpromising. 



Next in importance to calculi (or stones) so far as frequency of 

 occurrence may be accepted as a guide in estimating the import- 

 ance of the various forms of intestinal obstruction met wnth in the 

 horse, we should allot the position to " twist " (or entanglement 

 • of some portion of the intestine upon itself). It is not so difficult, 

 as may at first sight appear, to diagnose a case of ticist from the 

 symptoms which will hereafter be presented under one classifica- 

 tion, the single classification being adopted to avoid unnecessarj^ 

 repetition; there are one or two special symptoms that serve to 

 differentiate between twist and the presence of a calculus, which 

 we shall point out later on under the general classification of 

 symptoms in intestinal obstruction. When the tn'ist takes place 

 in the single colon or in the posterior portion of the double colon 

 examination per rectum occasionally reveals the condition ; having 

 thrust the arm up as far as one can reach, it will distinguish the 

 presence of a twist by the cord-like state of the intestine, and the 

 obstruction will prevent the hand passing beyond the point where 

 this is perceptible; the position of the twist can be determined by 

 the direction taken by the aforesaid cord-like condition; which 

 ever way the cord turns, either to the right or left, the portion of 

 the bowel that involves the entanglement must come from the 

 opposite direction, and it is possible by closing the fist, and 

 thrusting it well into the obstruction to swing the entangled por- 

 tion to and fro and ultimately by a vigorous effort to throw it back 

 again into its natural position; we are well aw^are that by many 

 veterinarians such a result is considered impossible of realization, 

 but from experience we are satisfied that it can be done, having 

 had the most satisfactory proof of the possibility in more cases 



