CHAPTER XXIII 



ON THE COMPARATIVE RARITY OF 

 ENTERITIS 



In a previous chapter of this book I have described the 

 casual manner in which, in my early days, I dismissed 

 as 'enteritis' any case which on post-mortem revealed, 

 a large area of dark-coloured or purple gut. 



How often I was wrong in a diagnosis formed in that 

 hasty manner was first pointed out to me in a published 

 observation of Major-General Smith.' ' I hold the 

 opinion,' he said, 'that many of the so-called cases of 

 enteritis are nothing more or less than strangulation from 

 twists, partial or complete, and that enteritis, pure, 

 simple, and uncomplicated, is comparatively a rare 

 disease in the horse.' 



Later I was able to read that the late Professor 

 Walley had previously published a similar remark : 

 ' Many of the so-called cases of inflammation of the 

 bowels are nothing more than forms of colic torsion.' ^ 



Since that I have found for myself that almost con- 

 stantly a death from colic is a death from twist. Enteritis 

 pure and simple is of such rare occurrence as to be 

 almost negligible. Nevertheless, since uncomplicated 



1 Proceedings of the Fifth General Meeting of the National 

 Veterinary Association. 



8 Yeterinary Journal, vol. ix., p. 398. 



321 21 



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