TWISTS OF INTESTINES. 419 



able. Owing to the intense pain, the animal assumes various atti- 

 tudes, in no way characteristic, because they are seen in all kinds 

 of intestinal strangulation. He may sit down in the position of 

 the Sphinx ; sit on his haunches like a dog ; lie on his back with 

 his l^s drawn up ; kneel down ; work his head up and down as 

 horses do when suffering from strangulated hernia ; get on his 

 legs, while shrieking with pain ; rear ; grind his teeth ; show 

 signs of madness ; or throw himself on the ground, like an inert 

 mass. His face expresses extreme depression and sadness. His 

 body is covered with sweat ; and his ears and limbs are extremely 

 cold. 



Unless the normal position of the bowel be mechanically re- 

 stored, the attack, as a rule, terminates fataUy in from one day 

 to a week, according as the stoppage is complete or partial. In 

 the horse, as in man, the chief cause of twist of the colon is pro- 

 bably habitual constipation. 



2. By invagination {intussusception), which, in nearly all cases, 

 is confined to the small intestine. This accident occurs when one 

 portion of the intestine (almost always the upper) passes into the 

 part next to it. Thus, an intussusception consists of three thick- 

 nesses of intestine on each side. If double, there will be five thick- 

 nesses. The causes are obscure, and the symptoms are somewhat 

 similar to twist. Inflammation occurs from this altered position 

 of the intestine, and the two serous coats which come together, 

 become more or less imited. Intussusception is also a frequent 

 post-mortem appearance. When it occurs after death, there is an 

 absence of inflammation of the part, and the fold can be readily 

 puUed out ; as there was no attempt at union between the two 

 serous coats which were temporarily in contact. 



CAUSES. — ^Never having seen an instance of twist of the intes- 

 tines caused by struggling on the ground, however desperate it 

 might be, in many htmdreds of cases of horses I have made lie 

 down in horse-breaking experiments, I am strongly of opinion that 

 such violent movements never induce twist of the bowel ; unless 

 possibly, the relative positions of its parts are altered from their 

 normal condition by some unusual cause, such as distension. 

 Hence, in ordinary spasmodic bolic, without flatulence, I see no 

 objection to allowing a horse to roll. In fact it appears that twists 

 and folds of the intestines are often caused by preventing horses 

 which have colic, from lying down and rolling. The partial 

 paralysis of the intestine caused by aneurisms and emboli set up 

 by palisade worms (p. 401) is undoubtedly a frequent cause of 

 twists and folds in that portion of the alimentary canal. 



27* 



