NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 745 
water should be frequently administered. Kneading the bowels and 
back-raking: are very beneficial. I am confident I have saved many a life 
by doing this. 
Colic 
is of two kinds, spasmodic and flatulent. They are diseases which arise 
from many causes, such as improper food, change of diet, physic ; when 
the animal has not been properly prepared, a sudden chill caused by 
allowing the animal when heated to stand in a draught, getting their 
legs and bellies wet during the winter months, exhaustion, particularly 
if associated with long fasting, and cold water if given to the animal 
when sweating after a long journey. Flatulent colic is generally due 
to food which easily undergoes fermentation, such as boiled corn and 
green food, the latter especially, if cut damp, tied up in bundles, and 
allowed to remain in this state until wanted ; it then becomes heated, 
often so hot that you can hardly bear your hand in it. I have seen 
many fatal cases from this cause. In one case the horse had given to it 
half a bundle of grass which had lain tied up since the previous day ; 
it had not eaten the half before it was attacked with acute flatulency, 
and died within twenty minutes from taking the first bite. I believe 
the post-mortem was ruptured stomach. Symptoms of spasmodic colic 
are sudden pain, endeavours to kick the belly, looks round at the flanks, 
and in some cases attempts to bite its sides, suddenly falls down, rolls, 
throws itself violently about, gets up and lies down rapidly and fre¬ 
quently. Whilst the spasm lasts, the breathing is hurried, and the 
pulse rises often to 100 or more, but when they pass away, both 
breathing and pulse fall to their natural standard. The faeces are some¬ 
times hard, sometimes soft, and generally passed at the beginning of the 
attack ; the urine is passed in small quantities, or there are frequent 
inaffectual attempts at urination. These symptoms, unless relieved, ter¬ 
minate in enteritis. 
Treatment .—Knowing that the pain and spasm is the symptom of the 
presence of some irritant, the removal of which is to effect a cure 
This is best done by administering opening medicine, combined with 
sedatives ; when there is acute pain, opiates are to be given, and may be 
given in large doses; opium is generally used, and is best given in a ball. 
In my opinion, ordinary doses of opium in acute cases like these are 
like pouring water on a duck’s back. I have given large doses with the 
greatest success ; one large dose at the beginning is, I think, much better 
than small doses often repeated, because the longer the pain and spasm 
lasts there is greater tendency to the case terminating in inflammation. 
The large dose generally acts immediately, throws the bowels into a 
state of collapse, relieves the pain and spasm ; the poor animal lies down 
and gets a comfortable sleep, often sleeping for four or five hours, 
waking up all right. 
In one case 1 gave as much as ten drachms of powdered opium in 
twenty minutes. I gave it in two balls, the first containing six drachms, 
and the animal being no better, in twenty minutes, the pain being very 
acute, I gave the second ball, containing four drachms; even this did 
not put it to sleep, simply relieved the pain. The animal gradually re¬ 
covered, and apparently suffered no ill effects from the large dose. In 
all cases, after the acute pain has passed, I usually give linseed oil, to 
remove any irritant, and to counteract the constipating effects of the 
opium. In the milder attacks I have had very good results from giving 
chlorodyne (four to eight drachms), made into a ball with Soda Bicarb. 
Of the different kinds of chlorodyne I prefer Hewlett’s, it being more 
uniform. Those gentlemen who have not tried it I would strongly 
