IMPACTION OF THE CECUM 93 



pital within an hour of each other, both showing symp- 

 toms of colic. 



By auscultation and percussion of the flanks I de- 

 termined the presence of an excess of gas in the in- 

 testines. This acute fermentative indigestion I attrib- 

 uted to faulty food. 



Each horse received, subcutaneously, one grain of 

 physostigmine salicylate and orally a capsule of betanaph- 

 thol and powdered nux vomica and both were sent 

 home to be placed in box stalls and await results. 



After about two hours I made a visit and found that 

 in both cases the eserine had caused the evacuation of 

 large quantities of feces and flatus, but the pain still per- 

 sisted although it was not as severe as while purgation 

 was taking place. 



When I again saw the cases in the afternoon both 

 were still uneasy and I had them taken to the hospital. 

 The gelding soon eased up after the walk from the 

 stable but the mare continued in dull pain, with pulse 

 full and soft at forty per minute; respiration slow, but 

 slightly labored, and temperature normal. In the even- 

 ing, per rectum, I discovered, in the right sublumbar 

 region an impacted intestine, large, round and very hard, 

 and seemingly attached superiorly. 



This I took to be the last portion of the colon and 

 confidently administered the magnesium sulphate and 

 sodium chloride treatment through the stomach tube and 

 followed this with an aloetic pill. 



During the following day, July 2nd, there were sev- 

 eral watery evacuations accompanied by some pain, 

 which I attributed to the purgatives. As there was some 



