74 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



other chapters (Tympanitic Stomach, for instance), may 

 be shown in gastric rupture. 



The reader will have gathered from the foregoing that 

 we have no really diagnostic symptoms of ruptured 

 stomach. Veterinary-Lieutenant-Colonel Smith sums the 

 matter up thus : ' Diagnosis of this affection is anything 

 but easy ; we have no diagnostic symptoms, and no two cases 

 of this lesion present the same appearances. I think the 

 symptoms on which we can place the most reliance are : 

 paroxysms after the administration of medicines, extreme 

 anxiety of countenance, in some cases the presence of 

 particles of ingesta in the peritoneal sac detectable on 

 exploration per rectum, running down pulse, cold sweats 

 and rigors, with coldness of the surface ; and should 

 vomiting and sitting on the haunches occur in conjunc- 

 tion with these, it only strengthens the diagnosis, hut 

 their absence in no wise weakens it.' 



Prognosis. — Once positively diagnosed, the case, of 

 course, is hopeless. The question the veterinarian is 

 most likely to ask, however, is this : ' What dependence 

 am I to place on the symptom of vomiting ? When 

 vomiting occurs, am I to positively declare my case one 

 of rupture ?' Owing to this vomiting question being a 

 much vexed one, several facts stand out with greater 

 distinctness than they otherwise would have done. For 

 instance, it is certain — 



1. That cases of rupture occur in which vomiting is a 

 most marked symptom. 



2. That cases of rupture occur in which vomition is 

 altogether absent. 



3. That cases of vomiting occur, followed by speedy 

 recovery, from which we may reasonably infer that 

 there was no rupture. 



It follows from this that vomition is not absolutely 



