INTUS-SUSCEPTION. 
By Mr. Robert B. Rush, V.S., Lopham. 
I WAS sent for, at eight o’clock A.M., on Thursday, June 6,1839, 
to give my opinion respecting a valuable pony, about seven years 
old, that was taken with pain the previous night about ten o’clock, 
and had been attended by a veterinary surgeon from that time, who 
told me that it appeared like a common case of gripes, so that he 
bled, and gave anodyne and aperient medicine : yet the pony be¬ 
came evidently worse, and I was requested to attend it. 
The symptoms were as follow :—pulse 100, and wiry; respira¬ 
tion hurried; extremities and ears cold ; great anxiety of counte¬ 
nance ; frequent rolling, with an endeavour to get on his back; 
expelling small quantities of fseces with a convulsive strain, and 
straining after it (a symptom I have always found attending cases 
of twist, knots, or intus-susception of the intestines, or any immove¬ 
able obstruction); and from what I could learn from previous symp¬ 
toms and present appearances, I considered it Avas a case of spasm, 
followed by intus-susception of the intestines, and therefore hope¬ 
less ; but the owner Avished me to do something. I bled the ani¬ 
mal, and gave anodyne medicine with castor oil, opiate enemata, 
stimulated the legs and abdomen, and applied bandages, ordered 
gruel and bran-mashes, and left it for a few hours. About three 
P.M., I found it much the same. I gave more anodyne medicine 
with castor oil, and opiate enemata; applied stimulants to the legs 
and abdomen, and ordered gruel, and which the pony now began 
to drink freely. I staid till nine P.M. 
The folloAving day, about nine A.M., I went, and the owner met 
me in the yard Avith a smile, saying the pony Avas better, for it had 
not laid down since eleven P.M.; but upon inquiry I found it had 
been constantly walking round the stable, frequently drinking gruel, 
and staling very often; there was much greater anxiety of counte¬ 
nance; the pulse was 120; the extremities were cold, and the skin 
round the eyes bedewed with perspiration ; I therefore pronounced 
it worse, Avhich surprised the oAvner; for the pony would—when¬ 
ever any one came up the yard—neigh to them, as though pleased. 
I staid some time, giving it often opiate enemata and plenty of gruel. 
About tAvo P.M. I left, and returned at ten P.M. Finding it 
Avorse, and yet no appearance of dying soon, the owner wished some 
one else to see it, if I had no objection. A practitioner Avas called 
in about four A.M. on Saturday, Avho from present symptoms thought 
it more a case of disease of the urinary passages, and wished a 
mustard poultice to be applied to the loins, roAvels in the sides, and 
