Introduction 



Unlike most other ailments of animals, the treat- 

 ment of colics in horses has undergone relatively slow 

 change in recent years. The immense forward strides in 

 our knowledge of the science of bacteriology has, within 

 a generation, revolutionized prophalaxis and surgery, 

 and materially changed the accepted methods of diagnosis 

 and treatment of infectious disease ; but before the prob- 

 lem of preventing, diagnosing or treating the colics of 

 the horse bacteriology stands helpless. Epizootiology 

 knows no means of forestalling an attack of colic, the 

 scientific laboratory knows of no reaction that will reveal 

 its presence and biologic therapy offers no aid in its 

 treatment; all this notwithstanding this ailment occu- 

 pies more of the time and attention, and makes greater 

 demands upon the skill of the average practitioner of 

 veterinary medicine than any other. 



Just a decade ago. Reeks' valuable treatise on colics 

 appeared, and marked the beginning of the substitution 

 of stimulants for sedatives in the treatment of this ail- 

 ment. That many of the followers of Reeks went to 

 extremes in t^ipr neglect pi sedatives in the treatment 

 of colic is certain, and it is equally true that Reeks advises 

 the .u§e of stimulants in excessively large doses, but- on 

 the whole his teaching constituted a great advance in 

 our therapy. ■ • . , 



The use of the stornach tube in the treatment of. colics 

 of the horse was another improvement upon exist- 



