96 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



trolled by cerebro-spinal centres and nerves, notably the 

 vagi and the splanchnics. Here, then, is pointed out 

 a ready and open road to a correct treatment, and one 

 which may be followed without the aid of a single dose 

 of purgative medicine. Give a large enough dose oi 

 a cerebro-spinal stimulant, and theoretically the case 

 should at once begin to mend. Practice in this case, 

 I can confidently state from experience, only bears the 

 theory out. To make my standpoint clear, I must 

 analyze a few of the actions of the more important drugs 

 used in everyday practice in the treatment of this dis- 

 order. As in this chapter I determine to direct attention 

 to what I believe to be the dangerous practice of giving 

 aloes, and to the greater success following a nervous 

 stimulant treatment, I shall confine myself to a few drugs 

 under those headings, concluding with a brief paragraph 

 on the use of anodynes and sedatives. 



(a) Aloes. — Reasons advanced in favour of its administra- 

 tion : It causes a purge, not only of the bowels, but also 

 of the blood. While in contact with the intestine it pro- 

 duces secretion and peristalsis. It also increases the 

 flow of bile. 



Reasons why it should not be used : i. The length of time 

 it takes to act (sixteen to twenty-four hours) is much too 

 long to have to wait in the horse for an action of the 

 bowels. That must be evident to everyone in view of 

 the short time that is occupied in the passage of the food 

 through the digestive organs. 



2. We are waiting then for a something only proble- 

 matical ; for oftentimes it never acts at all, but is excreted 

 wholly by the kidneys, causing hyperaemia of those organs 

 and diuresis. 



3. The drug is always more or less nauseating. 



4. Its effects are confined mainly to the large intestine ; 



