DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 208 
eases, as believed and taught by our brethren of the heroic school. 
Such agents and means we do not want, for the plain reason that 
disease can be cured quicker and better without than with them. 
Our system of practice, and that recommended in this work, tenda 
to sustain the vital powers during the progress of disease; and 
this is accomplished by resorting to sanative medication. Thia 
eanative system of medication must, eventually, commend itself to 
the candid and to the unprejudiced reasoner and scientific inquirer 
afler truth. 
STRANGULATION OF THE INTESTINES. 
When an animal becomes the subject of strangulation of the in- 
lestines, it is very difficult, at first, to diagnose the case, for the 
symptoms very much resemble those of spasmodic colic; yet aa 
the treatment of the two diseases does not differ much, the mistake 
in itself is of little consequence. 
Symptoms.—The difficulty is, at first, accompanied by uneasi- 
oess, ‘he animal moves about in his stall, and commences stamp- 
ing with one of the fore-feet. Frequently he gets down and rolls 
on his back, in which position he will remain sometimes for sev- 
eral minutes. So soon as he rises, he commences to paw and 
etamp with a vengeance. As the discase advances, he totters, and 
sometimes drops on the floor. The pulse is usually irregular, the 
mouth cold, and visible surfaces pallid: the tongue appears of a 
bluish cast; and the body is generally bedewed with sweat. Fi- 
nally, the animal makes great efforts to evacuate the rectum, and 
in so doing strains violently, so as to cause blood to escape from 
the rectum ; and sometimes the rectum itself protrudes. Should 
the symptoms not improve, the animal soon dies of strangulation 
and mortification of the intestines. 
Treatment.—This must be of an anti-spasmodic character. An 
sunce or two of fluid extract of lobelia should be given, every twe 
hours, in a pint of warm water; the body should be enveloped 
in bandages, wet with warm water, and enemas of assafetida o 
lobelia should be thrown into the rectum ; but if the rectum pro 
trude, enemas are inadmissible. On some occasions of the kind 
[ etherize the patient, with marked relief. 
