COLIC; 



493 



icine or aconite, as for pneumonia. If the cough is very distressing, 

 give the following every night and morning: — 



Extract of belladonna / 1 dr. 



Powdered digitalis ..'...' 2 scr. 



Camphor 1 dr. 



Powdered opium ■. 1 scr. 



Colic. 



There is no disease about which there seems to be so much dif- 

 ference of opinion among horsemen as that of colic. When the 

 horse is taken sick suddenly, showing the symptoms of colic, the 

 owner, or some neighbor called in who is presumed to know, is most 



Pig. 812.— Digestive Apparatus. 



likely to assume the trouble is caused by bots ; another perhaps, be- 

 lieves it is belly-ache ; while others who may be present are likely 

 to be equally positive in supposing the trouble to be caused by 

 something else. The treatment, too, is usually on the same princi- 

 ple, equally doubtful, if not ridiculous. The first and most common 

 remedy is plunging a knife into the roof of the horde's' mouth to bleed, 

 " so as to give blood to the bots, or relieve the colic, or whatever it is "; 

 this hap-hazard cutting is liable to sever the palate, artery, and en? 

 danger_the horse's bleeding to death. The next resource is likely to 

 be that of running the horse up and down the street, or kicking him 

 in ( the belly, giving sweet milk and molasses, etc. No one would 

 pretend to be able to explain definitely the nature of the trouble; 

 but they believed it was this, that,, or something else, and the conse- 

 quence was that the poor horse was liable to be tortured for hours, 



