SO-CALLED COLICS OF THE HORSE 119 



septic intoxication or peritonitis. Embolic colic is a frequent 

 cause of impaction especially impaction complicated with 

 displacement. 



Diagnosis. — In the living horse the diagnosis of embolic 

 colic is always a probable one. It may be suspected when 

 without apparent cause repeated attacks of colic occur and 

 more especially if the feces contain blood. 



Treatment. — ^The treatment is the same as in simple 

 impaction. Atoxy] (giij) of a 3 per cent, solution given 

 intravenously are said to eradicate the strongylus. 



Spasmodic CoUc. — ^Definition. — By spasmodic colic we 

 understand a rather severe attack of abdominal pain due to 

 spasmodic contractions of the bowel probably superinduced 

 by intestinal catarrh. It is characterized clinically, in contra- 

 distinction to impaction colic, by diarrhea, rapid course, 

 intermittent pain and favorable termination. 



Treatment. — ^This form of colic should be treated with 

 drugs which allay pain such as morphin (grs. iij-vj), chloral 

 hydrate (§j). Arecalin, and especially eserin and barium 

 chlorid, are contra-indicated. Warm applications to the belly 

 are valuable. 



Wonn Colic. — ^Intestinal Parasites.^ — ^The intestinal para- 

 sites of the horse (spool worms, tapeworms, palisade worms) 

 notwithstanding their frequency rarely produce colic. How- 

 ever, if present in large nimibers they may (1) obstruct the 

 bowel producing simple impaction, (2) mechanically irritate 

 the mucous membrane inducing enteritis, or (3) by emigrat- 

 ing into the abdominal cavity lead to peritonitis. In this 

 connection the following parasites are important. 



Ascaris megalocephala, the spool worm of the horse, 

 produces obstruction, perforation of the bowel at the attach- 

 ment of the mesentery, worm cysts and peritonitis. 



Taenia plicata, T. perfoliata and T. mamillana, the tape- 

 worms of the horse, produce obstruction and perforation. 



Strongylus armatus and Str. tetracanthus, the adult palisade 

 worms of the horse, produce hemorrhagic enteritis. 



Oxyuris curvula, the pin worm of the horse, produces 

 proctitis. 



The larvae of Gastrophilus equi and G. pecorum rarely pro- 



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