622 A FEW REMARKS ON COLICKY COMPLAINTS. 
the importance of venesection, I cannot characterise it better than 
by quoting the opinion of a talented professional friend : — “ It is one 
of health’s sheet anchors in the treatment of cases of obstruction.” 
At one time I made a rule of endeavouring to do without it as much 
as possible, and I found that delay greatly increased the risk of an 
unfortunate termination, and invariably retarded the recovery of the 
patient, as well as increasing trouble and expence ; the first to both 
owner and practitioner, and the latter to one of us. It relieves the 
congestion of the bowels, and greatly assists the action of medicine. 
Linseed oil and ether are decidedly the best things to use, and 
aloes the worst, because, as long as it remains in the anterior part 
of the obstructed gut, its action is that of an unceasing irritant, and 
greatly assists the tendency to enteritis ; besides, it is very nause- 
ating and griping, and there is generally more sickness present 
than the practitioner wants. In inflammation of the abdominal 
viscera, or obstruction from hernia, it is literally a poison, and about 
as useful as turpentine in nephritis. 
Where constipation is the result of dryness of the intestine, and 
the faeces are in dry, hard, small balls, the alimentary canal has 
difficult)^ in getting rid of them, on account of their small bulk ; 
and I have found very hot water applied continuously to the sur- 
face of the abdomen of eminent service. In the case of a patient 
that had been ill a week, and was likely to die, I used it with com- 
plete success ; but to be useful it must be sustained for a consider- 
able length of time. 
In cases where constipation is one of the symptoms of strangu- 
lated intestine from a pendulous tumour, or in analogous cases, 
where the cause can be accurately made out per rectum, I would 
strongly recommend, as well worthy of trial, the operation through 
the side for a somewhat similar disease in cattle, for the knowledge 
of which I am indebted to Mr. Collins, of Yorkshire. The patient, 
if not relieved, must die ; and it affords not only a chance of life 
and usefulness, but a good one. I am warranted in saying so from 
its invariable success in cattle when performed in time. I never 
heard either disease or operation mentioned at college, but it is 
high time it was pointed out there. 
I have seen constipation in cattle result from intense and sus- 
tained spasm of the bowels, where every foot or so of the intestine 
was contracted so as hardly to admit a finger, unconnected with 
serous inflammation, and accompanied with complete loss of sen- 
sation and volition in the hind extremities, the legs being placed in 
any position remaining so, but not permanently. As in such a case 
I have witnessed both sensation and volition gradually return, and 
the animal, with assistance, gain its feet and recover, I cannot 
