112 COLICS AND THEIR TREATMENT 



The treatment in torsion of the left colon consists in 

 rolling the animal in the direction of the twist. In three 

 cases where a diagnosis was possible the patients were 

 rolled in the direction of the torsion. If this did not re- 

 lieve them, in the opposite one. The horse was not al- 

 ways cast for the operation; by waiting sometimes fif- 

 teen minutes it would lie down of its own accord. The 

 patient is simply rolled over and over two to fifteen times 

 or until relieved. Keeping the hand of the operator in 

 the rectum during the rolling is seldom advisable and is 

 dangerous in that perforation of the rectum may result. 



This treatment is not always successful. Of seven 

 cases of torsion of the left colons reposition was affected 

 in only four. The remaining three did not yield to treat- 

 ment. As the result of Behrens' study and attempts at 

 this method of treatment of torsion of the left colons, 

 he draws the following conclusions : 



1. It is not possible under all circumstances to diag- 

 nose this displacement per rectum. In many cases the 

 loops of small bowel, distended and pushed toward or 

 into the pelvic cavity, prevent adequate palpation. 



3. One is not always successful in recognizing in 

 which direction and how extensive the displacemeat is. 



3. Rolling the patient, as suggested, is not always suc- 

 cessful. In general practice it is not always feasible. 



