66 DISEASES OF THE HOBSE. 



the diseases of the stomach and intestines and to point out such 

 localizations in one organ or another as are of importance in recog- 

 nizing and treating the diseases of the digestive organs of the horse. 

 It should be understood that gastritis signifies an inflammation of 

 the stomach and enteritis an inflammation of the intestines. The two 

 terms may be used together to signify a disease of the stomach and 

 intestines, as gastroenteritis. 



COLIC. 



The disease of the horse that is most frequently met with is what 

 is termed "colic," and many are the remedies that are reputed to be 

 " sure cures " for this disease. Let us discover, then, what the word 

 " colic " means. This term is applied loosely to almost all diseases of 

 the organs of the abdomen that are accompanied with pain. If the 

 horse evinces abdominal pain, he probably will be considered as suf- 

 fering with colic, no matter whether the difficulty is a cramp of the 

 bowel, an internal hernia, overloading of the stomach, or a painful 

 disease of the bladder or liver. Since these conditions differ so much 

 in their causation and their nature, it is manifestly absurd to treat 

 them alike and to expect the same drugs or procedures to relieve them 

 all. Therefore, it is important that, so far as possible, the various 

 diseased states that are so roughly classed together as colic shall be 

 separated and individualized in order that appropriate treatments 

 may be prescribed. With this object in view, colics will be consid- 

 ered under the following headings : (1) Engorgement colic, (2) ob- 

 struction colic, (3) flatulent or tympanitic colic, (4) spasmodic 

 colic. Worm colic is discussed under the heading " Gastrointestinal 

 parasites," page 90. 



The general symptoms of abdominal pain, and therefore of colic, 

 are restlessness, cessation of whatever the horse is about, lying down, 

 looking around toward the flank, kicking with the hind feet upward 

 and forward toward the belly, jerky switching of the tail, stretching 

 as though to urinate, frequent change of position, and groaning. In 

 the more intense forms the horse plunges about, throws himself, ro'Us, 

 assumes unnatural positions, as sitting on the haunches, and grunts 

 loudly. Usually the pain is not constant, and during the intermis- 

 ' sions the horse may eat and appear normal. During the period of 

 pain sweat is poured out freely. Sometimes the horse moves con- 

 stantly in a circle. The respirations are accelerated, and usually 

 there is no fever. 



Engorgement colic. — This form of colic consists in an overload- 

 ing of the stomach with feed. The horse may have been overfed or 

 the feed may have collected in the stomach through failure of this 

 organ to digest it and pass it backward into the intestines. Even a 

 normal quantity of feed that the horse is unaccustomed to may cause 



