COLICS IN THE HORSE 107 



bowel extending over from the left to the right side of 

 the abdominal cavity. The impaction of the left lower 

 colon, however, usually occupies the right lower region 

 of the flank and usually hugs rather closely to the median 

 line. The shape of the impacted mass is usually not round 

 but more elongated, and finally the base of the impacted 

 cecum may be felt in situ. 



Impaction of the Left Colons — Usually the lower colon 

 and the pelvic flexure are simultaneously involved. When 

 the left lower colon is impacted, on rectal examination 

 one feels in the left upper or lower flank region an im- 

 pacted mass usually just in front of the pelvic inlet and 

 more rarely protruding into the pelvic cavity. By care- 

 fully feeling the swelling from right to left one notes 

 upon the surface the taenia or bands which designate the 

 left lower colon. The condition could hardly be confused 

 with other parts of the bowel, as its size is greater. It 

 is extremely difficult to determine whether both the pelvic 

 flexure and the left lower colon are simultaneously in- 

 volved, as the crooked course of the bowel is difficult 

 to follow. An impaction of the left upper colon is rec- 

 ognized by its limited diameter, the absence of the bands, 

 the direction of its course being practically in a straight 

 line forward, while its larger calibre permits us to dif- 

 ferentiate it from the more tortuous and smaller loops 

 of the small bowel. 



Impaction of the Right Upper Colon — The impacted 

 mass is imprisoned in the stomach-like dilatation of this 

 bowel, beginning at its funnel, and extending anteriorly 

 and including its widest diameter. As this portion of 

 the bowel lies so far anteriorly as not be reached by the 



