142 COLIC 



respecting them in such a work as the present — and, 

 indeed, such belong rather to the professional man 

 than to the amateur. 



Colic may be explained as being spasm of the 

 internal abdominal muscles — i.e., the muscles of the 

 coats of the stomach. It is important that the differ- 

 ence between colic and inflammation should be dis- 

 tinguished, the one being, as I have said, spasm, and 

 the other being what its name implies. An attack of 

 colic is usually very sudden, and there is but little 

 warning. The animal shifts about uneasily, looks 

 constantly round to his flanks, paws the ground 

 violently, and strikes his belly with his feet, and lies 

 down and rolls on his back. In a few minutes the 

 pain probably ceases ; he rises again and commences 

 to feed, and then, the pain recurring, down he goes 

 again, the symptoms increasing, till the poor creature 

 positively sweats with the agony, which increases at 

 each attack. 



The complaint is generally caused by immoderate 

 or injudicious feeding or watering, or a chill, such as 

 that which may easily be contracted if kept outside a 

 stable while being washed after a hard day's work, etc. 

 Some animals are very subject to it. Fortunately, 

 nowadays the complaint is well understood and is 

 easily curable. 



Injections of warm soap and water, or mixed with 

 a little turpentine, may be given, accompanied by 

 hand-rubbing of the belly and legs, and bandaging of 

 the latter, and the use of plenty of warm rugs. The 

 latter should, if they get wet from perspiration, be 

 changed for dry from time to time. 



Linseed-oil and sulphuric or nitric ether in the pro- 



