396 INFLAMMATIONS. 
The symptoms are very severe, and are shown by shivering, feverish- 
ness, cold dry nose, ears, and legs, breath hot, and the expression 
anxious, showing evidence of: pain, which is increased on pressing 
the bowels with the hand. The tail is kept closely pressed against 
the body, and the attitude is peculiar to the disease, the back 
being arched and the legs all drawn together. The bowels are 
costive, the urine scanty and high-coloured; there is thirst, and 
the appetite is absent altogether. Sometimes there is a slight 
vomiting after food, but at others it is retained; though in the 
later stages the former condition generally prevails. The disease 
soon runs on, and if not relieved is fatal in a few days. - To treat 
it, take a large quantity of blood; give calomel and opium in grain 
doses of each, every three or four hours; put the dog in a warm 
bath for half an hour, and, after drying him, rub in the embrocation 
(43), avoiding pressure, and applying it rapidly but lightly. After 
twelve hours the bowels may be moved by means of the caster 
oil (15); or, if necessary, the strong mixture (16), repeating the 
calomel. pills till the tenderness ceases. Great skill is required in 
adapting the remedies to the disease, and a veterinary surgeon 
should be called in whenever the dog is worth the expense. 
Colic is also a frequent complaint among the dog tribe, the signs 
being intense pain, aggravated at intervals to such a degree as to 
cause the patient to howl most loudly, the back being at the same 
time arched as far as possible, and the legs drawn together. If this 
shows itself suddenly after a full meal, the colic may at once be 
surmised to exist ; but the howl at first is not very loud, the dog 
starting up with a sharp moan, and then lying down again, to re- 
peat the start and moan in a few minutes with increased intensity, 
until it becomes a how! continued for many seconds together. The 
nose is of a natural appearance, and there is little or no fever, the 
evidence of pain being all that directs the attention to the bowels, 
where there is no tenderness, and, on the contrary, pressure gradually 
made with the hand seems to afford relief. The treatment should 
be by means of laudanum (1 drachm) and ether (30 drops) in a 
little water every two or three hours; or, in very bad cases, croton 
oil (1 drop) may be given ina pill with three grains of solid opium 
every four hours till the pain ceases. The embrocation (45) may 
also be rubbed into the bowels, either at once or after a very 
