COLIC. 171 



jected to severe and long-continued exertion, if his lungs 

 be weak, will be attacked, probably tlie same night, by 

 inflammation of the lungs ; if the lungs be sound, the at 

 tack will be on his bowels on the following day. 



The diagnosis being made, and the disease being ful'y 

 ostablished to be spasmodic colic, and not inflammation, 

 the treatment should be as follows: Give at once, in a 

 drench, by a horn or bottle, three ounces of spirits of tur- 

 pentine and an ounce of laudanum in a pint of warm ale, 

 the effect of which will often be instantaneous. If these 

 ingredients cannot be quickly obtained, a drench of hot ale, 

 with ginger, a wine-glass full of gin and a teaspoonful oi 

 black pepper, with, if possible, the laudanum added, will 

 succeed as a substitute. If the paroxysm returns, or if re- 

 lief of a decided kind do not take place within half an 

 hour, from four to six quarts of blood may be taken, with 

 advantage, in order to prevent inflammation. The dose of 

 turpentine should be repeated, and clysters of warm water, 

 with an ounce of finely powdered Barbadoes aloes dissolved 

 in them, should be injected, at intervals, until the counter- 

 irritation puts a stop to the spasms. For the injections, a 

 common wooden pipe with an ox bladder will answer, al 

 though the patent syringe is far better. The pipe should be 

 greased and introduced gently and tenderly, great care be- 

 ing had not to alarm or startle the animal. The opera- 

 tion and effect of the medicines will be promoted by gen- 

 tle friction of the belly, with a brush or hot flannel cloth, 

 and by walking the horse, or trotting him very gently 

 about ; but all violence, or violent motions, must be avoided, 

 as tending to produce inflammation. These remedies, 

 which can be procured with ease in any village, almost in 

 any house, will almost to a certainty remove the disease. 

 When relief is obtained, the horse's clothes should be 

 changed, which will be found to be saturated with sweat 



