ENTEKITIS. 223 



Violent purging, and attended with much inflammation and 

 fever, wiU occur from other causes. Green feed will frequently 

 purge. A horse worked hard upon green feed will sometimes 

 scour. The remedy is change of diet, or less labor. Young 

 horses will often be strongly purged, without any apparent cause. 

 Astringents should be used -with much caution here. It is pro 

 bably an effort of nature to get rid of something that offends 

 A few doses of gruel will assist in effecting this purpose, and the 

 purging win cease without astringent medicme. 



Many horses that are not well-ribbed home — having too great 

 space between the last rib and the hip-bone — are subject to 

 purging if more than usual exertion is required from them. They 

 are recognized by the term of washy horses. They are often free 

 and fleet, but destitute of continuance. They should have rather 

 more than the usual allowance of grain, with beans, when sA, 

 work. A cordial ball, with catechu and opium, will often be 

 serviceable either before or' after a journey.* 



* Note by Mr. Spooner. — When this disease occurs, as it is usually in the 

 most violent form, and is more frequently fatal than otherwise, bleeding is call- 

 ed for most assuredly ; but we should endeavor previously to bring warmth 

 to the skin and extremities, and also to raise the pulse. Two ounces of 

 spirit of nitrous ether, in which a drachm of opium has been infused, may 

 be administered in a pint and a half of linseed-oiL This will enable us to 

 take a much larger quantity of blood than we should otherwise be enabled 

 to abstract. It is of great importance to bleed largely in the first instance, 

 but of very doubtful benefit to repeat the blood-letting. Warm fomenta- 

 tions to the abdomen are of much importance, and should be continued 

 almost without remission, whilst the pain continues ; thus applied, the heat 

 of hot water will be more efficacious than any external stimulants. The 

 oil may be repeated in doses of one pint until the bowels are opened, and 

 the last dose should contain a scruple of powdered opium. Copious draughts 

 of linseed gruel should also be given, and injections of the same frequently 

 thrown up. 



Inflammation of the peritoneum seldom occurs as an independent disease. 

 When it does, it usually follows castration, or some injury external to the 

 bowels. The treatment should resemble that previously described. It 

 sometimes exists in unison with pleurisy, and also with the inflammation of 

 the bowels (enteritis) just described. 



Inflammation of (lie mucous coat of the intestines is also a very danger 

 ous disease. It maybe produced by cold, or by over-exertion, particularly 

 in hot weather, or, more frequently than either, by an overdose of physic, or 

 an ordinary or weak dose while the membrane is either in a state of irrita- 

 tion, or liable to become so from sympathy with some other important part, 

 such as the lungs, more particularly their lining or mucous membrane. 



Bleeding in this disease is seldom of service, the weak and almost imper- 

 ceptible state of the pulse forbidding it. Our endeavors must be devoted 

 to bringing warmth to the skin and extremities, and gradually stopping tho 

 irritation of the bowels and sheathing its internal mucous membrane. We 

 may venture on powdered chalk with small doses of opium administered in 

 thick wheat flour gruel. 



