266 COLIC — ASSIMILATION ; [BOOK II. 



it is painful to notice one of the most scientific ve- 

 terinary writers of our time has fallen. We do not 

 find in Mr. Richard Lawrence's " Complete Far- 

 rier" any reference whatever to inflammation of the 

 intestines ; though under the head of " Colic, or 

 Gripes," he proceeds to describe the symptoms of 

 inflammation in such a manner as might mislead 

 ignorant or half-taught persons to treat both alike, 

 and thus destroy their horses. 



A violent cold, or a slight one, will also deter- 

 mine the disorder one way or the other, when the 

 individual's system may be of no decisive character 

 at the time of contracting it. That a low state of 

 the animal system is favourable to engendering 

 spasms of the intestines, is inferred from the cir- 

 cumstance, that subsequently to a horse afflicted 

 with inflammation undergoing the copious evacua- 

 tions recommended in the preceding pages for the 

 cure of that disorder, he is frequently visited with 

 spasmodic affections that require sedatives and to- 

 nics to restore the patient to complete health. 



Causes. — Next to drinking cold water, and catch- 

 ing cold by exposure to air or water whilst heated, 

 the eating of bad, ill-got, or rank hay, is a prolific 

 source of spasmodic colic. If it lie in the intes- 

 tines chilly and comfortless, and thus predispose 

 the animal to acquire cold, the cause of epidemical 

 colic is plainly attributable to such bad hay, for it 

 then prevails usually over certain districts, and 

 mostly among country cattle. Pushing a horse in 

 his work when large lumps of undigested matters 



