328 STRICTURED AND STRANGULATED INTESTINE. 
sity of rejecting from our nomenclature altogether. Mr. Bracy 
Clarke has written an essay on what he calls gripes/’ without 
ever having made mention of what certainly appears to be the 
only true meaning attachable to the term, viz. involuntary, pain¬ 
ful, muscular contractions— spasms; and many of our practition¬ 
ers are too apt to run away with the symptom, and give a name 
to ity instead of looking at the disease. If a horse only lies down, 
and rolls and rises alternately from pain, no matter what previous 
concomitant or subsequent symptoms he may have,—no matter 
what may be the history or presumable origin of such symptoms,— 
he is said to have the gripes^ and venesection and oil of turpentine 
are said to be the remedies: such was the knowledge possessed 
by the farrier before veterinarians came into the practice, and to it 
we have added very, very little indeed. And I repeat, that in my 
opinion, our progress has not been a little retarded by considering 
all such cases as gripes, when, in reality, they no more partake of 
the nature of gripes than they do of hydrocephalus. 
In such cases as the above, it is true, that even were we certain 
in our diagnosis, we should feel greatly pei'plexed to divine a mode 
of relief: this, however, is by no means a reply to what I have been 
contending for—a more intimate practical acquaintance with dis¬ 
eases which, however near they may resemble one another in their 
symptoms, are totally different in nature, in causes, and in effects. 
Although we may not have it in our power to do any good, we 
may, by our ignorance of the existing disease, do a monstrous 
deal of harm. Nature, if we do not interfere, will on occasions 
work wonders; but in our determination to act, right or wrong, 
we may possibly counteract all spontaneous efforts, and not only 
do that, but aggravate sufferings and accelerate death. In fine, 
it is our duty, at all times and in all cases, to make ourselves 
acquainted with the disease itself, and not simply with the symp¬ 
toms, before w^e decide upon the plan of treatment; and if we can¬ 
not do this in a satisfactory manner, the event must hang upon 
threads no less hazardous to our patient than galling to ourselves. 
These observations, arising out of the foregoing cases, although 
they throw no lights on the diagnosis of the diseases borne in 
view while penning them, may, it is to be hoped, draw attention 
to a quarter where it is greatly wanted, and where it wall, if at all 
successful, be sure to be rewarded. 
