31 



irritation of the bowels giving i-ise to spasm. Some acrid substance 

 in the food, presence of worms, even exposure to cold when the 

 body is heated is apt to bring it on — usually it readily yields to 

 treatment but cases have been recorded in which the bowels 

 became so entangled (Intussuscepted) as to give rise ta death; 

 V. S. Powell found this condition of 22} inches of the small 

 bowel from the stomach — the entangled part was filled with firm 

 fibrine, and parasites were observed in considerable numbers in 

 the Large Intestines. Treatment: Antispasmodic doses; cncmata: 

 and, if judged necessary, a cathartic dose, when the spasm does 

 not seem to yield, the bowels remain torpid, and injlammation 

 has not set in. Foment the abdomen freely or apply stimulating" 

 applications to it. 



Flatulent Colic — (The animal is said to be " Soost" when 

 affected with this disorder) — generally occurs under a subacute 

 form in the elephant — being somewhat frequent. The bowels of 

 this animal are very liable to deficient tone leading to imperfect 

 digestion, distention of the abdomen with gas, colicky pains," 

 and violent rumblings of the bowels. The appetite is impaired 

 or depraved, . the faeces abnormally soft and pale, the general 

 condition reduced, the animal being listless and dull in the 

 extreme. "After crossing large rivers, when elephants have 

 been several hours in the water at a time, some of them are sure 

 to have swallowed a large amount of wa,ter and will appear swollen 

 out to bursting point iu consequence. These will generally refuse 

 their food" (Hoodj. Treatment: must be directed to improving 

 the general tone of the system, and that of the bowels iu particu- 

 lar, by the use of a liberal supply of nourishing food, iron and; 

 vegetable tonics — with mild stomachics as aids to digestion.; 

 Ginger, Gentian, Chiretta, and Assafoitida are useful in such 

 cases. Regular exercise must not be neglected. • 



Enteeitis : is said to be frequent in hot weather . and to 

 result from too free use as ordinary articles of diet of highly, 

 stimulating food, such as peepul leaves. The symptoms are 

 those of dull subacute abdominal pain, fever, and a slimy coat- 

 ing of the small amount of faeces passed every now and then.* 

 Treatment consists in fomenting the belly freely, abstraction of 



» A case sappoaed to he enteritis is rocorflcd in tho Jul. Comp. Med. Surgery 

 for April 1884, in which an occasional thumping was to bo Been on both sides of 

 the hypochondriac region (recorded by G. Bowler, M.D., V.S.) 



