Colic in Solipeds from Verminous Embolism. 219 



alwaj-s to be apprehended as the original cause remains and the 

 animal is liable to be cut ofE at any time. 



Treatment. This is very unsatisfactory as the original source 

 of trouble, the worms, being in the bloodvessels, cannot be 

 reached by vermifuges that would be harmless to the host, and 

 clots blocking the smaller intestinal vessels, cannot be dissolved 

 and removed. Moreover, although we could compass the death 

 of the worms in the aneurisms, we would leave their dead bodies 

 as .sources of septic change, blood coagulation and embolism. 



A certain number of cases, however, are not necessarily fatal, 

 and the worms of the blood-ve,ssels have not an indefinite period 

 of life, so that there is some encouragement for both therapeutic 

 and preventive treatment. During the attack we must be content 

 to treat symptoms. French veterinarians still trust largely to 

 general bleeding, adopted at the very outset and to the extent of 

 6 to 10 quarts. It will temporarily lessen the vascular tension, 

 more permanently dilute the blood, and calm nervous excitement, 

 and in the moist violent cases, as a kind of forlorn hope, it might 

 be tried with the view of tiding over the acute stage until a freer 

 collateral circulation could be established. 



The use of anodynes will be more generally acceptable to Ameri- 

 can practitioners. Two to four grains of sulphate of morphia or 

 codeine may be given hypodermically in combination with ij^gr. 

 eserin, 7 grs. barium chloride, or 2 grs. pilocarpin, to secure a 

 speedy movement of the bowels. 



To counteract intestinal fermentation perhaps no better agent 

 can be got than chloral hydrate, J^ oz. of which may be given by 

 the mouth in water, and J^ oz. more by the rectum. 



Wet compre.sses to the abdomen, or fomentations with water 

 rather hotter than the hand can bear or even the application of 

 mustard is sometimes useful as a soothing or derivative agent. 



In the absence of morphia or chloral, laudanum, ether, chloro- 

 form, camphor or assafcetida have been recommended. 



It is important to keep the patient on a .soft, littered floor to 

 prevent injury from his throwing himself down, and walking him 

 around may be resorted to for the same purpose. 



Prevention. After a non-fatal attack and in every case in 

 which a horse is found to harbor the sclerostoma equinum in 

 quantity, measures should be taken to expel those present in the 



