DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. " 67 



disease. Hence a sudden change of feed may produce engorgement 

 colic. Continued full rations while the horse is resting for a day or 

 two or working too soon after feeding may serve as a cause. New 

 oats, corn, or hay, damaged feed, or that which is difficult of diges- 

 tion, such as barley or beans, may incite engorgement colic. This 

 disease may result from having fed the horse twice by error or from 

 its having escaped and taken an unrestricted meal from the grain 

 bin. Ground feeds that pack together, making a sort of dough, may 

 cause engorgement colic if they are not mixed with cut hay. Greedy 

 eaters are predisposed to this disease. 



Symptoms. — The horse shows the general signs of abdominal pain, 

 which may be long continued or of short duration. Retching or vom- 

 iting movements are made; these are shown by labored breathing, 

 upturned upper lip, contraction of the flank, active motion at the 

 throat, and drawing in of the nose toward the breast, causing high 

 arching of the neck. The horse may assume a sitting position like a 

 dog. At times the pain is very great and the horse makes the most 

 violent movements, as though mad. At other times there is profound 

 mental depression, the horse standing in a sleepy, or dazed, way, 

 with the head down, the eyes closed, and leaning his head against 

 the manger or wall. There is, during the struggles, profuse perspira- 

 tion. Following retching, gas may escape from the movith, and this 

 may be followed by a sour froth and some stomach . contents. The 

 horse can not vomit except when the stomach is violently stretched, 

 and, if the accumulation of feed or gas is great enough to stretch the 

 stomach so that vomiting is possible, it may be great enough to rup- 

 ture that organ. So it happens not infrequently that a horse dies 

 from ruptured stomach after vomiting. After the stomach ruptures, 

 however, vomiting is impossible. The death rate in this form of 

 colic is high. 



Treatment. — The bowels should be stimulated to contraction by the 

 use of clysters of large quantities of water and of glycerin. Veteri- 

 narians use hypodermic injections of eserin or arecolin or intra- 

 venous injections of barium chlorid, but they must be employed with 

 great caution. It is not profitable to give remedies by the stomach, 

 for they can not be absorbed. But small doses of morphin (5 grains) 

 or of the fluid extract of Indian hemp (2 drams) may be placed in 

 the mouth and are absorbed in part, at least, without passing to the 

 stomach. These drugs lessen pain and thus help to overcome the 

 violent movements that are dangerous, because they may be the means 

 of causing rupture of the diaphragm or stomach. If facilities are 

 available, relief may be afforded by passing an esophageal tube 

 through which some of the gaseous and liquid contents of the stomach 

 may escape. 



