154 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



Those who have carefully read the preceding portions 

 of this book will see no great difficulty in carrying out 

 the first of these directions. Again, I do not advise the 

 administration of aloes ; at any rate, not as a dependable 

 agent. The mere fact of the bile being thrown back in 

 sufficient quantities into the blood-stream to stain the 

 visible mucous membranes is ample evidence that it will 

 not be found freely enough in the duodenum to assist in 

 the solution of the administered aloes. Assuming that 

 the obstruction has set up such inflammatory changes as 

 to cause a diphtheritic closure of the bile-duct, and that 

 there is collected bile in the intestine, should calomel be 

 given in order to hasten its expulsion ? I am of the 

 opinion that no great amount of good is to be derived 

 from that, unless the system is at the same time helped 

 by suitable stimulant treatment in order to first remove 

 the obstruction. 



That statement brings us back again to the ammonium 

 compounds as our sheet-anchor — again advantageously 

 combined with nux vomica or other nerve stimulants. 

 Consequently, for the treatment I ma)', with one excep- 

 tion, refer the reader to that advised for obstruction of 

 the double colon. The exception is the hypodermic 

 injection of eserine. I do not believe, in this particular 

 form of colic, its administration is called for. At any 

 rate, any idea of using it may be safely postponed until 

 the case has been treated on other lines for some few days. 



Once more, I earnestly caution the practitioner to 

 avoid sedatives. Even when the purging breaks out he 

 should still persist in a solely stimulative treatment, for 

 it is not until the obstructive mass in the duodenum is 

 removed that he may regard his case as out of danger. 



When, after the period of purgation (which always 

 seems to accompany these cases), the physician has once 



