34 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



the lower animals. In short, every practitioner must 

 have noticed the proHfic crop of colic that speedily 

 follows a spell of cold, showery weather, when previously 

 all has been warm and dry. 



Temperament as a Predisposing Factor. — This 

 should really come under the heading of heredity. All I 

 need add to what I have already said in that paragraph 

 is that I have frequently noticed that animals of a 

 sluggish, lymphatic nature are more liable to repeated 

 attacks of colic than are others. 



Last, but by no means least, in this lengthy category 

 of predisposing causes comes a reference to the mucous 

 membrane of the intestines. I think no one will deny 

 that the delicate lining of the bowels in the horse is 

 much more sensitive to deleterious matters than that 

 of any other domestic animal. In proof of which, 

 witness the agonizing pains that accompany the least 

 disturbance of his alimentary tract, and the rapidity with 

 which the animal succumbs. Witness, also, the rapid 

 and fatal effects of comparatively small doses of irritant 

 poisons : the animal's dejected and downcast demeanour, 

 and his absolute indifference to everything except the 

 torturing pain which is rendering his case hopeless and 

 pitiable in the extreme. 



This chapter, then, details some, though not all, of 

 those causes that tend to the production of equine colic. 

 The practitioner need not, however, be dismayed by their 

 apparent infinity. Although, for anatomical and physio- 

 logical reasons, the horse is fearfully liable to paroxysms 

 of these agonizing pains, the veterinarian should en- 

 deavour to remember that many of these predisposing 

 causes are often energetically helped into being active 

 ones by the crass stupidity of the animal's attendant. 



