GENERAL EXCITING CAUSES 37 



horses. If these be not available, then bran is the next 

 obtained. Bran mixed with maize forms much too 

 laxative a diet for the horse in work ; it is certainly not 

 economical, and is, moreover, a frequent cause of an 

 attack of colic. 



Nor must we forget the enormous quantities of foreign 

 feeding materials that are poured into our markets in 

 these days of rapid trans-oceanic transit. It is principally 

 the equine dwellers in our large towns that are likely to 

 suffer from their introduction, and we have had startling 

 evidence of the ill effects of these materials in out- 

 breaks of such serious importance as ' poisoning by 

 muttars' and the conveyance of anthrax. Putting 

 diseases of that nature on one side, it is a well-known 

 fact that cargoes of such materials are notoriously full of 

 dust and other foreign substances — e.g., scraps of iron, 

 sand, stones, etc. 



In some districts it is a common practice to feed the 

 animals once weekly with food that has been boiled, or, 

 when making them up for sale, to diet them largely on 

 it for several weeks prior to selling. Though probably 

 more easy of digestion, I fear such food is often ravenously 

 bolted, and in that way lays the foundation for colic. 



The several questions bearing on the matter of food, 

 its economic value, mode of administration, etc., are 

 various and widely differing. In the hope of rendering 

 this little volume of direct practical value to the prac- 

 titioner of veterinary medicine and to the stock-owner, I 

 have added an appendix entering more into detail on this 

 matter ; there is, therefore, no need for me to enlarge 

 upon it here. 



(b) Water. — Personally, I am not of the opinion that 

 this can often be looked upon as the direct cause of colic. 

 Unless it is sufSciently impregnated with the salts of 



