132 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



felt per rectum — namely, obstruction of the single colon — 

 it is necessary at this point to show means of differentia- 

 tion, A reference to that chapter will show that in the 

 condition there described we have a set of general 

 symptoms far more alarming. There is continuous pain, 

 an always troubled state of the pulse, a tendency to stand 

 in a stretched-out position, with ejected penis and quiver- 

 ing tail, and a gradual increase in the severity of the 

 pains unless the condition is soon relieved. Also we 

 have violent straining attempts at defaecation and a 

 clinging grasp of the rectum on the inserted arm, 

 together with a violently expulsive action of the bowel, 

 called forth at once by anything inserted therein. 



Without committing myself to the statement that none 

 of these symptoms are ever witnessed in a case of 

 obstruction of the pelvic flexure, I can unhesitatingly 

 declare that they are never marked. I can further 

 assure the reader that in no instance will more than one 

 or two of these more serious signs be seen at one and 

 the same time. 



So far as he is yet able to sum up his case, the 

 veterinarian is now confident that he has before him a 

 case of obstruction implicating to a grave extent the 

 pelvic flexure of the colon, and he is able to read at its 

 full value a symptom that until now may have been 

 somewhat puzzling. I refer to the constant evacuation 

 of small quantities of faeces. It appears now that the 

 single colon, and also the third and fourth portions of the 

 double colon, have, in irritable manner, been discharging 

 their contents. It appears, further, that nothing now 

 remains to hinder the normal evacuation of the contents 

 of the rest of the intestinal tract save the obstruction at 

 the pelvic flexure. 



One other point has yet to be decided before his 



