420 DISEASES OF DIGESTION. 



The SYMPTOMS are described as follows by Cad6ac : " At first 

 more or less violent colic tortures the animal, who is distressed and 

 anxious. His nostrils are dilated ; his lips tremble ; his jaws are 

 clenched ; his eyes, which are widely staring, are at first brilliant, 

 but subsequently dull ; his back is arched and rigid ; he paws the 

 ground and looks round at his flanks. The pain increases in in- 

 tensity ; the horse sits on his haunches like a dog ; he works his 

 head up and down; and makes disordered and jerky movements. 



" He may make attempts to vomit, which sometimes cause the 

 expulsion, through the nostrils, of a green liquid mixed with food, 

 and with a smell resembling that of the stomach. Occasionally, 

 by his violent efforts to vomit, he throws up small and hard par- 

 ticles of dung, covered with thick mucus, and sometimes accom- 

 panied by gangrenous portions of the intestine. His belly and 

 flanks are painful to the touch, but are not much distended. The 

 rumbling of the large intestine can be heard only at the beginning 

 of the attack." 



Diagnosis is in most cases possible, owing to a very peculiar 

 symptom almost invariably present, although not mentioned in the 

 text books. This is an odd, sudden, jerky crouch, caused by the 

 pain from the invagination of successive sections of bowel. 



The appearances after death are : local discoloration, from in- 

 flammation of the strangulated bowel, and a thickened condition 

 of the affected intestine. These changes involve the entire thick- 

 ness of the bowel, that is, the mucous, muscular, and serous coats. 

 When the abdomen is opened, the twist, usually, becomes undone ; 

 so that there is nothing to mark its previous existence, except the 

 discoloration. 



TREATMENT. — Curative measures are very uncertain in this 

 malady. As palliative treatment, it is best to give 1 oz. of extract 

 of Indian hemp. If that drug cannot be obtained, give 1 oz. of 

 chloral hydrate ; f oz. of opium ; 8 oz. of laudanum ; or inject 

 hypodermically 10 grains of hydrochlorate of morphine. Large 

 doses of linseed oil might be tried. 



In twist of the large intestine, successful results are obtained 

 by allowing the animal perfect freedom to roll, and by giving 

 enemas of large quantities of luke-warm water, while keeping the 

 animal's hind quarters raised eight or ten inches higher than his 

 forehand, so as to help the water to penetrate well forward into 

 the bowel. An enema funnel is preferable to a pump or syringe 

 for this work. 



Some authorities advise passing the hand into the rectum and 

 trying to undo the twist, after giving an enema. 



Nothing can be done for twist of the small intestine, in which 



