Surgical Treatment of Colics in Horses* 



L. A. Merillat, V. S., Chicago, 111. 



PROFESSOR OF SURGERY, m'kILLIP VETERINARY COLLEGE 



I am using this title, for want of a better one, to pre- 

 sent a brief review of the available forms of instrumen- 

 tation useful in the management of gastric and intestinal 

 obstructions of animals, and I trust you will not be de- 

 ceived by the startling title — "The surgical treatment of 

 colics," which might easily be mistaken for more than 

 I shall be able to disclose as rational treatment of a sur- 

 gical character for intestinal and gastric ailments. Let 

 me therefore first announce that this epitome is not a 

 startling proclamation about the invasion of the intestinal 

 tract through the abdominal wall. On the contrary, 

 as Prof. Hobday has stated, and as Doctor Blattenburg 

 has reaffirmed, I shall repeat, that we are not today and 

 probably never shall be able to invade the abdominal 

 viscera to any great extent. 



One of my objects is to draw attention to the necessity 

 of diagnosing abdominal disease at an early stage with 

 more certainty in order that we may attack them with a 

 therapy directed precisely at the affected part. Colic, I 

 dare say, in veterinary practice is too frequently treated 

 as such. I have often thought if the word colic had 

 never entered our nosology we would then have ap- 

 proached abdominal pain with more searching inquiry as 



•Published in the January, 1914, issue of the American Journal of Vet- 

 erinary Medicine. 



