ACUTE INTESTINAL INDIGESTION WITH IMPACTION 

 OF THE I^ARGE INTESTINES IN THE HORSE. 



Definition. Causes : dessication of ingesta in colon, sacculation, constric- 

 tion at pelvic flexure, debility, ill health, local peristalsis, diseased teeth, 

 jaws or salivary apparatus, excess of food, heating grain, hard fibrous indi- 

 gestible fodder, green leguminosae, privation of water, inactivity, verminous 

 aneurisms, tumors, strictures, obstructions. Symptoms : colics after meals, 

 becoming more severe, tension and firmness of right side, sitting on 

 haunches, stretching, small, hard, dry coated stools, obstruction felt on 

 rectal exploration, frequent attempts to urinate, tympany. Course : six 

 hours to six days or more, signs of aggravation and improvement. Lesions : 

 large intestines tympanitic, impaction often at pelvic flexure, or other con- 

 striction, adherent mucosa has thick mucus or blood, is discolored, friable, 

 necrosis, perforation, liquid contents of distended bowel in front, rupture, 

 invagination, volvulus. Treatment : laxative diet, injections, aloes, pilo- 

 carpin, eserine, barium chloride, chloral hydrate, morphia, henbane, bella- 

 donna, puncture, cold or oleaginous enemata, empty or knead rectum and 

 colon, cold compress, electricity, friction, laparotomy. 



Definition. Thi.s is an impaction and obstruction of the colon, 

 and usually of the pelvic flexure with dried and badly digested 

 alimentary matters. 



Causes. Certain anatomical and physiological conditions con- 

 tribute to this disease in the horse. The ingesta as it leaves the 

 stomach is liquid or pultaceous and throughout the small intes- 

 tines it remains so, .so that they are little liable to impaction. But 

 by the .time the caecum is reached much of the liquid has been 

 absorbed, and as the contents pass into the double colon they are 

 usually a soft solid, which gradually becomes dried as it ad- 

 vances through the double and floating colon. The sacculation 

 of caecum and colon tends to delay the masses and favors absorp- 

 tion. The pelvic flexure, the narrowest part of the double colon, 

 is formed by an acute bend of the vi.scus on itself so that the dried 

 masses advancing from in front are especially liable to become 

 arrested and impacted at this point. Impaction may,, however, 

 occur at any part of the large intestine. 



Any debility or atony of the intestines predisposes to the con- 

 dition. The ingesta accumulates in the portion which does not 

 contract sufficiently to pa.ss it onward, and this soon becomes dis- 

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