408 DISEASES OF DIGESTION. 



would be sufficient for the propagation of the virus, without 

 abrasion of the surface of the muoous membrane. This diseeise is 

 similar to the thrush of human beings and is due to the presence 

 of a vegetable parasite, oidium albicans, which is a yeast fungus. 

 For convenience' sake I have included it in the present chapter, 

 instead of the preceding one. 



TREATMENT consists in frequent bathing of the part with a 

 solution of 1 oz. borax, in 4 oz. glycerine, and 2 oz. of water ; or of 

 a saturated solution of borax, or alum in water. The animal should 

 be carefully nursed, and have " soft '' food to eat. Abundance of 

 linseed tea would be an appropriate drink. In the contagious 

 form, give liquor arsenicalis (p. 613) to act on the disease germs. 

 In all cases, 2 oz. of bicarbonate of soda, mixed in the food, would 

 be advisable. 



Colic. 



Colic being the manifestation of pain in the interior of the 

 abdomen, is a symptom of various diseases, such as : irritation of 

 the intestines, due to indigestion ; worms (especially the strongylus 

 armatus, p. 399) ; enteritis ; hernia ; twisted bowel ; calculus in 

 the intestines; obstruction, etc. Hence, when a horse is seized 

 with an attack of colic, the person treating him should endeavour 

 to find out the nature of the disease, so that he may try to remove 

 the cause. 



FREQUENCY OF COLIC— About 40 per cent, of the attacks 

 of inteo-nal diseases of horses may be put down to oolic ; and the 

 mortality from it is about 13 per cent., and about 40 per cent, of 

 the general death-rate. My own experience is, that cases of colic 

 are at least ten times more frequent among horses which live 

 under ordinary stable conditions, than among those whose water- 

 ing, feeding, and work are carefully and scientifically regulated. 

 The great frequency and danger of colic in horses are due to the 

 fact that they can very rarely vomit. 



The GENERAL SYMPTOMS are those of spasmodic colic or 

 flatulent colic (pp. 410 and- 413) ; or of both, in more or less un- 

 equal proportions. 



PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT.— From the enumeration of the 



causes of colic, it is seen that what would be curative in one case, 



'might be fatal in another. For instance, the administration of a 



dose of aloes, which would speedily remove the cause of pain due 



