220 INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS ENTERITIS. 



animal that this operation should be attempted. Much of the 

 aanger would be avoided by using a very small troohar, and by 

 withdrawing it as soon as the gas has escaped. The wound in 

 the intestines will then probably close, from the innate elasticity 

 of the parts. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 



There are two varieties of this malady. The first is Lnflam- 

 mation of the external coats of the intestines, accompanied by 

 considerable fever, and usually costiveness. The second is that 

 of the internal or mucous coat, and almost invariably coimect- 

 ed with purging. 



ENTERITIS. 



The muscular coat is that which is oftenest affected . Inflamma- 

 tion of the external coats of the stomach, wehther the peritoneal or 

 muscular, or both, is a very frequent and fatal disease. It speedily 

 runs its course, and it is of great consequence that its early symp- 

 toms should be known. If the horse has been carefully observed, 

 restlessness and fever will have been seen to precede the attack. 

 In many cases a direct shivering fit will occur : the mouth will 

 be hot, and the nose red. The animal will soon express the most 

 dreadful pain by pawing, striking at his belly, looking wildly at 

 his fl.anks, groaning, and rolling. The pulse will be quickened 

 and small ; the ears and l6gs cold ; the belly tender, and some 

 times hot ; th" breathing quickened ; the bowels costive ; and the 

 animal becommg rapidly and fearfully weak. 



The reader will probably here recur to the sketch given in page 

 216, of the distinction between spasmodic colic and inflammation 

 of the bowels, or enteritis. 



The causes of this disease are, first of all and most frequently 

 sudden exposure to cold. If a horse that has been highly fed 

 carefully groomed, and kept in a warm stable, is heated with ex- 

 ercise, and has been during some hours without food, and in this 

 state of exhaustion is suffqjred to drink fireely of cold water, or is 

 drenched with rain, or have his legs and belly washed ■with cold 

 water, an attack of inflammation of the bowels will often follow 

 An over-fed horse, subjected to severe and long-continued exertion, 

 if his lungs were previously weak, will probably be attacked by 

 inflammation of them ; but if the lungs were sound, the bowels 

 will on the following day be the seat of disease. Stones in the 

 intestines are an occasional cause of inflammation, and colic neg- 

 lected or wrongly treated will terminate in it. 



The horse paws and stamps as in colic, but without the inter- 

 vals of ease that occur in that disease.. The pulse also is fai 



