SO-CALLED COLICS OF THE HORSE 113 



usually lasts but a few hours. It is frequently attended by 

 fever and sometimes the stools are blood-stained. It is very 

 apt to lead to enteritis, rupture of the stomach or bowel, 

 septic intoxication or peritonitis. Embolic colic is a frequent 

 cause of impaction especially impaction, complicated with 

 displacement. 



Diagnosis. — In the living horse the diagnosis of embolic 

 colic is always a probable one. It may be suspected when 

 without apparent cause repeated attacks of colic occur and 

 more especially if the feces contain blood. 



Treatment. — The treatment is the same as in simple 

 impaction. Atoxyl (giij) of a 3 per cent, solution given 

 intravenously are said to eradicate the strongylus. 



Spasmodic Colic. — Definition. — By spasmodic colic w6 

 understand a rather severe attack of abdominal pain due to 

 spasmodic contractions of the bowel, probably superinduced 

 . by intestinal catarrh. It is characterized clinically, in contra- 

 distinction to impaction colic, by diarrhea, rapid course, 

 intermittent pain arid favorable termination. 



Treatment. — This form of colic should be treated with 

 drugs which allay pain such as morphin (gr. iij-vj), chloral 

 (gj). Arecalin, and especially eserin and barium chlorid, 

 are contra-indicated. Warm applications to the belly are 

 valuable. 



Worm Colic. — Intestinal Parasites. — The intestinal para- 

 sites' of the horse (spool-worms, tapewdrms, palisade-worms), 

 notwithstanding their frequency, rarely produce colic. How- 

 ever, if present in large numbers they may (1) obstruct the 

 bowel, producing simple impaction, (2) mechanically irritate 

 the mucous membrane, inducing enteritis or (3) by emigrat- 

 ing into the abdominal cavity lead to peritonitis. In this 

 connection the following parasites are important: 



Ascaris megalocephala, the spool-worm of the horse. Pro- 

 duces obstruction, perforation of the bowel 'at the attachment 

 of the mesentery, worm cysts and peritonitis. 



Taenia plicata, perfolia and mamillana, the tapeworms of 

 the horse. Produce obstruction and perforation. 



Strongylus armatus and tetracanthus, the adult palisade- 

 worms of the horse. They produce hemorrhagic enteritis. 

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