1 
SAND COLIC AS SEEN IN FLORIDA. 
763 
[Written Specially for the American Veterinary Review.] 
SAND COLIC AS SEEN IN FLORIDA. 
By J. G. Slee, D. V. S., Second Division Seventh Army Corps. 
While acting as veterinary surgeon for the Second U. S. 
I Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, stationed at Panama Park, Fla., 
I had frequent occasion to note the effect of sand upon the 
horses of that regiment. Colics were of frec]uent occurrence, 
which at first responded to treatment, but the animal would re¬ 
turn in a few days, from being a slight case to a more aggra- 
; vated one, the pains being continual, the animal lying ciown 
the greater part of the day. 
Although from a close investigation of the cases I suspected 
sand to be the cause, still I never saw the sand in the faeces, as 
it evidently was not passed in sufficient quantity to be noticed ; 
neither could I get a passage of it from the ordinary physic 
doses I had at hand. Enemas administered by a long rubber 
hose inserted as far as possible, so as to fill the bowel, caused a 
passage of sand, but not in sufficient quantity \o give relief. 
I obtained some barium chloride, which I eventually used 
; in all cases of colic, and found it to be just the drug needed. I 
; treated over two hundred cases, using the barium chloride in 
doses of grs. v, intravenously, repeating the dose if necessary, 
j occasionally in severe cases giving grs. x, and sometimes as high 
as grs. XV, but the dose of grs. v seemed to be sufficient to move 
the bowels and cause frequent evacuations of clear sand, slightly 
j admixed with faeces. The sand would continue to be passed 
1 for the next day, showing that the impaction.was broken up 
I and peristalsis going on. 
; Post-mortem on these cases showed that the impaction was 
all in the first part of the colon, but the third or fourth move- 
? ment after the barium chloride was administered always con- 
I tained sand. I might add that I am not particularly struck with 
; the action of barium chloride as a drug for all cases of colic, as 
j its action is too severe, but for the cases I had it was just the 
drug, as I never lost a case in which it was used. 
