156 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



has should be medicated with 2 or 3 ounce doses 

 of magnesium sulphate, and the kidneys may be induced 

 to carry off their share of the accumulated effete 

 materials by judicious doses of potassium nitrate, either 

 in the drinking water or the patient's food. 



This chapter I will conclude with a very brief account 

 of two cases, which will serve to illustrate what I have 

 already written. In their description I do not intend 

 giving a daily account of the symptoms ; that would 

 take up much of my space to but little advantage. The 

 reader will have read the symptoms of this disorder for 

 himself, and will understand that my relation of them 

 has been based upon these and other similar cases. 

 Consequently, a daily record of the symptoms would be 

 but the most fulsome repetition. 



Case No. i. 



January 30, 1902, 3.30 p.m. — The subject of this case 

 was a five-years-old cart mare (barren). I attended the 

 owner's farm, some five miles distant, and received a 

 history of general dull pains spread over the previous 

 day. The pains had appeared somewhat worse (never 

 violent) during the morning of this day, and were accom- 

 panied several times by a nasty purge. This had led the 

 owner to send for me. The pains the mare was showing 

 did not appear to be proceeding from purgation; they 

 were rather the ordinary dull pains of obstruction that I 

 have mentioned so often throughout this book. 



To make assurance doubly sure I explored the rectum, 

 and found that bowel containing a quantity of dirty liquid 

 faeces, the odour of which was offensive in the extreme. 

 Shortly after this manipulation the mare again volun- 

 tarily evacuated a large quantity. As, however, I was 

 unable to detect the usual symptoms of superpurgation 

 (see Chapter XVII.), I diagnosed the case as one of ob- 

 struction, and proceeded to treat it on those lines. I there- 

 upon administered the balls and drench as advocated in 



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