Colic, Enteralgia, Intestinal Spasm. 317 



all diseases of the abdomen. In its more restricted sense in 

 which it will here be considered it may be held to indicate ab- 

 dominal pain without inflammation or any structural lesion. 



It may however be well to note the most common causes of 

 abdominal pain so that the distinction may be more definitely 

 reached by a process of exclusion. 



1st. Simple spasmodic colic. 2d. Enteralgia or neural- 

 gia of the intestines. 3d. Colic from indigestion, a tym- 

 panitic, b from overloading with ingesta, c from impaction 

 or constipation, d from calculi or concretions or from sand, 

 or gravel taken with the food or from foreign bodies swallowed, 

 e from worms in the intestines, /from worms in the mesen- 

 teric vessels (thrombo-embolic), g from irritants taken with 

 the food or otherwise. 4th. Colics from structural lesions 

 of the intestines ; a from inflammation of intestine, b from 

 bacteridian inflammation of the bowels, c from proto- 

 zoan inflammation, d from chemical or other irritants, e 

 from intestinal strangulations, f from adhesions, g from 

 volvulus, h from invagination, i from mesenteric omental 

 or phrenic hernia, j from strangulated inguinal, femoral 

 ventral or umbilical hernia, k from wounds, ruptures or 

 perforations of stomach or intestines, / from peritonitis or 

 pleuritis, m from metritis or ovaritis, n from hepatitis or 

 biliary calculus, from pancreatitis or pancreatic calculus, 

 p from nephritis, nephritic, uretral, cystic or urethral cal- 

 culus, q from neoplasms affecting any of the abdominal 

 organs. \ 5th. Colic due to lead poisoning. 



Causes of enteralgia and spasmodic colic. Enteralgia may be 

 defined as a neuralgic pain of the bowel which may therefore be 

 free from spasm or any other appreciable structural or functional 

 change. Its existence in the lower animal is necessarily some- 

 what problematical, as it can only be inferred from the analogy 

 of the animal with man, and of the enteron with the superficial 

 parts that are more frequently attacked with neuralgia, and also 

 from the absence of visible spasmodic contractions in the bowel 

 which has been the seat of intense pain, yet shows no inflamma- 

 tory lesion. But whether this is accepted or not, the occurrence 

 of spasm is undeniable and as both are functional nervous dis- 

 orders the same causative factors will apply to both. 



