78 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. General F. 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 conjunction 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 



