238 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



administered a dose of aloes. During the next two days 

 this certainly acted, though not to any large extent. I 

 thought the case out of danger, and, unfortunately, 

 allowed three days to elapse before seeing the patient 

 again. 



My attendance was again requested. I still saw 

 nothing to alarm me, and ordered light walking exercise. 

 On September 26 this was given him, and on the 27th 

 the animal was tied behind a cart and walked out of town 

 to the owner's farm some four miles distant. On his 

 arrival he appeared to be in no worse condition than 

 when he started. On the following morning, however 

 (and I must say to my surprise), he was taken suddenly 

 worse. As to what the case was now there was no 

 doubt. The symptoms shown were unmistakably those 

 of rupture of the intestines. A few hours later saw the 

 end. 



I have laid stress on the administration of the eserine 

 and the aloes as being, perhaps, the two most important 

 items in the treatment. At the same time the patient 

 received at intervals the usual stimulants as given in im- 

 paction of the colon. 



In connection with this case I have one regret, and that 

 is that I did not have the patient up at my own place. 

 As things turned out, I did not keep that ' watchful eye ' 

 on him that really I should have done. The' necessity 

 for this I did not see until too late. Although he was 

 stabled not far from my home, it was one of those annoy- 

 ing places to attend where one never saw the same 

 attendant twice ; where the patient once or twice was, 

 without advice, moved from one box to another, and no 

 clear record kept of the evacuations. There was no really 

 exact history obtainable either of what the animal was 

 doing just prior to the attack, or of what he did, in the 



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