84 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



would come partial or complete twist of the bowels, etc.). 

 In those cases the character of the pain is acute and 

 agonizingly persistent, and the disease runs a rapid and 

 fatal course of from twelve to twenty-four hours. I have 

 made a second notice of the acute disorder here in order 

 to firmly impress on the mind of the veterinarian that it 

 will be absolutely necessary for him to negative the idea 

 of his case being of that description before a suitable and 

 proper treatment can be adopted. I do not imagine for 

 one moment that this conclusion may be arrived at by a 

 hasty and half-hearted examination of our patient ; for, 

 as a perusal of the table of cases at the end of this 

 chapter will show, we may be deceived by the symptoms, 

 the pulse, the temperature, or the respirations^ or we may 

 be misled by all combined, if our examination be not a 

 lengthy and a searching one. 



Dull Subjective Symptoms. — The symptoms of a sub- 

 acute attack will be in main what are nearly always, and 

 I think correctly, described by practitioners as 'dull 

 pains.' They are so plainly ~ of a dull character as to 

 lead the owner to treat the case lightly and to neglect 

 sending for assistance at the outset. Frequently he 

 allows twelve or even twenty- four hours to elapse before 

 sending for skilled advice. The animal is dull and list- 

 less, perhaps refuses his food, or picks a little now and 

 again. At this stage the pulse, temperature, and respira- 

 tions are but Httle altered. These, however, change as 

 time goes on, and the animal begins to show signs of un- 

 easiness and pain, such as walking round the box, and 

 smelling at the bedding. Otherwise he leans heavily with 

 his hind-quarters against the nearest post or wall, with an 

 occasional pawing movement of the fore-limbs or an 

 irritant stamp of the hind. Perhaps the animal even 

 ventures to lie down, and, if so, only after repeated and 



