222 
SCROTAL HERNIA IN COLTS. 
ticulation; but, about the second or third day, both heat ^ind 
enlargement are sufficiently evident.* The animal is unable to 
throw any weight on the diseased limb, and continually lies 
down. Loss of appetite, fever, and laborious respiration speedi¬ 
ly follow. At the fourth or fifth day the swelling begins to 
diminish, but the colt usually dies about the sixth day. 
' Sometimes the'swelling proceeds to abscess. The fluctuation 
of the enclosed pus is evident, but it is of little consequence 
whether the abscess be opened or suffered to take its course. 
There is generally a sudden metastasis of inflammation to the 
lungs or intestines, and the colt quickly perishes. 
On dissection, there appears to be considerable congestion or 
inflammation of the lungs, and sometimes of the pleurae, while 
the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchiae is of a vio¬ 
let colour. 
The disease must be attacked through the medium of the 
mother. If she exhibit any fever she must be bled, put on a 
mash-diet, and IJ or 2 oz. of nitre given daily. Many prefer 
that-the colt should be,suckled by a foster mother, or nourished 
artificially by the milk of a cow. 
The joints should be diligently fomented with a decoction of 
marsh-mallows or poppy.-heads. 
The disease evidently depends on the mare, . If she have one 
colt affected with it, the next will rarely escape: but, if that 
colt be suckled by another mare, he will generally be free from 
disease.— Recueil de Med. Vet. Mars, 1828. 
SCROTAL HERNIA IN COLTS.' 
. THESE swellings occasionally appear in the scrotum of the 
colt a few days after the birth. Sometimes they occupy one 
side only of the bag. Occasionly both are distended. In a few 
instances the scrotum becomes as large as a child’s head. These 
are true scrotal hernia. A portion of intestine descends into 
the scrotum. Bandages arid topical applications are perfectly 
useless, or produce irritation and pain. 
At an uncertain period the swelling begins spontaneously to 
diminish, and at length entirely disappears. Where it has 
occupied both sides of the scrotum it is more slowly reduced; 
and the reduction of one side seems to be perfectly independent 
of the other .—Recueil de Med. Vet. Fev. 1828. 
