298 SYNOPSIS OF VETERINARY CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 
which rapidly increased. We immediately commenced the 
following treatment :—Enemas of ordinary water, with 
eighty grammes of ether; cold enema, with ether and am¬ 
monia ; frictions with oil of turpentine to the fore extre¬ 
mities, over the loins, and the abdomen. The tympanitis 
constantly increasing, and asphyxia becoming imminent, we 
had recourse to puncture. Immediately there escaped 
through the canula a great quantity of gas, which for the 
time relieved the animal; but twenty-five minutes had 
scarcely elapsed when the accumulation again commenced, 
and threatened to bring about speedy death. We then 
determined to inject directly into the intestine, through 
the canula, about gvij of pure ether. This scarcely 
entered the intestine when the tympany became diminished, 
and the breathing less laborious. This change for the better 
became more and more marked, and after three quarters of 
an hour the animal commenced to eat. The colicky pains 
did not again come on. II. On the 17th January following 
this case, a horse of our own was affected with severe colic, 
complicated from the commencement with tympany. We 
tried ordinary treatment ineffectually. The respiration 
became more difficult, so we punctured, and awaited the 
result. But the state of the animal continuing alarming, en¬ 
couraged by our first success, we injected about gv 
ether. As in the other case, the swelling disappeared as if 
by enchantment, and about an hour after the injection the 
animal had regained his normal condition. III. On the 
14tli March the same horse again became affected with very 
violent colic and marked tympany. We employed ordinary 
drinks, injections, and surface stimulation, but in vain. 
The respiration became impaired, so we had recourse to 
puncture. The swelling subsided very considerably, and we 
thought for the moment that the case was cured, for the 
patient remained quiet, and his pains had disappeared. But 
an hour had scarcely elapsed when the swelling reappeared, 
and the state of the animal became more and more critical. 
We decided then to again try the injection of ether, and 
threw in—not without great difficulty, in consequence of 
the disordered movements of the animal—about gvij. 
At the end of a few minutes the swelling and pain had 
diminished very much, and every sign of the disorder had 
disappeared in an hour and a half. We will not seek the 
method in which the ether acts, but rather will refer to those 
authors more competent than ourselves, who have inves¬ 
tigated this question—notably Prevost, Lafore, Royer, 
