152 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



mucous membrane ; at the point of rupture the layers of the gastric 

 wall are separated by alimentary matter. The contents of the 

 stomach are covered with blood, and a portion has fallen into the 

 peritoneal cavity. Ruptures of the intestine occur at various points, 

 but always in the regions where fecal matter has accumulated. 

 They may involve the mucous membrane only, in which case the 

 fecal matters have penetrated to a greater or less distance under 

 this membrane, detaching it ; at other times the muscular coat is 

 torn at the point of mesenteric insertion, and part of the intestinal 

 contents is engaged between the laminse of its organ of suspension. 

 The lacerations of the diaphragm present very irregular jagged lips,, 

 betw^een which one or more organs of the abdominal cavity have 

 passed. 



The intestinal mucous membrane may be the seat of a simple 

 hyperemia or of a catarrhal, croupous, diphtheric, hemorrhagic, or 

 necrotic inflammation. In quite a large number of cases we find 

 the whole intestinal wall tumefied, soft, and friable, the subserous 

 and submucous tissue infiltrated with blood, and the contents of 

 the intestine more or less bloody ; on the peritoneum we detect 

 inflammatory alterations of variable intensity, from sero-fibrinous 

 exudation to purulent or gangrenous phlegmasia; the mesentery 

 is covered with hemorrhagic infarcts ; the mesenteric ganglions 

 are tumefied and infiltrated with blood. The first artery of the 

 coeliac plexus is frequently altered by an aneurism containing the 

 larvse of Strongylus armatus; the arteries of the intestine then be- 

 come obstructed in many cases by the thrombi consecutive to the 

 emboli emanating from the aneurism. 



We find also as accessory alterations : hyperemia of the organs of 

 the abdominal cavity or of the lung, pulmonary œdema, hypostatic 

 pneumonia, hemorrhages of the pleura and meninges, parenchyma- 

 tous degeneration of the heart, the kidneys, the liver, and the spleen. 

 The blood is dark, viscous, tar-like, and rich in bacteria. 



General treatment. Horses attacked by colic must be placed 

 in a roomy and closed place, with a floor covered with a good litter, 

 or in a box stall with proper arrangements to prevent the patients 

 hurting themselves while making unusual movements. In order to 

 produce intestinal reflex and to obtain a regular distribution of thé 

 blood, the whole cutaneous surface should be rubbed with straw or 

 a piece of cloth. These frictions may be rendered more eflicient by 

 means of essence of turpentine or spirits of camphor, applied upon 



