36 
SPASMODIC COLIC. 
a snore, pupils widely dilated, and a discharge of frothy 
saliva from mouth, bowels constipated; total loss of milk in 
posterior glands, and but very little in the anterior ones. 
The owner informed me that she had pigged the previous 
evening, and when left for the night appeared all right and 
very comfortable ; but, on visiting her early in the morning, 
he found she had not eaten anything, and that she appeared 
to be very unwell. On trying to move her he observed that 
she staggered just the same as cows did in the early stage of 
reel ( i.e . the local term for dropping after calving), soon after 
which she fell, and was unable to rise. 
Treatment . — Give very cautiously, 01. Ricini ^vi, Pulv. 
Jalapa ^ij, Pulv. Gent. 5 j, Pulv. Potass. Nit 5 j, Sulph. 
Sublim. 3 SS, and repeat same if bowels do not respond in 
eight or ten hours. 
July 31st. — Patient about the same. Repeat medicine 
and well stimulate the loins. Requested that I may hear 
how she was in the evening. At this time a messenger came 
to tell me she was up on her legs, and her young ones 
sucking. The bowels had not, however, responded. Sent 
double quantity of the powders, half for dose to be given in 
her food. I heard nothing more of my patient other than 
she did well. 
I would add she had had a portion of her tail incised in 
order to bleed her. 
SPASMODIC COLIC. 
By Thomas James Poulton, M.R.C.Y.S., Wrotham. 
Prominent among the diseases of the digestive system of 
the horse undoubtedly is colic. The severity of the symp- 
toms present, and the number of cases which annually occur 
cause me to pen this article. 
As a rule, diseases of the equine race abound in names, 
more or less antiquated, some having as many as six different 
ones. The names applied to them are mostly derived from 
roots, affixes, or prefixes of ancient or modern languages. 
Spasmodic colic is felicitiously abundant in them ; thus by 
some it is termed fret (A.-S. f retan, to gnaw) ; others gripes 
(A.-S. gripan, to seize, pinching distress); and nearly all 
colic (Gr. kolon, signifying acute pain of the bowels) . Among 
the scientific names it receives is intermittent colic (Lat. 
inter and mitto , causing to go, ceasing at intervals) ; and 
spasmodic colic (Fr. spasme, Lat. spasmus , Gr. spasmos — 
