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432
tforasfs of 3,mods.
COLIC.
(1.) Spasmodic Goltc. — Symptoms. All at once
Ihe liorse that a few moments ago was well, ap
parently, shakes his head —leaves his feed, looks
round at his flank, mostly at the right side, as if
pointing out the seat of the disease, scrapes the
ground with Ids front foot, and almost strikes his
belly with one of the hind ones. The spasm
continuing, the horse breaks out into a sweat,
heavier at the flunks; great excitement, kicking,
and rolling; intervals of ease from pain.
()tNine*. —Drinking cold water when heated, or
colder water than commonly used, as a city horse
is used to drinking water which is warmer in
summer, and colder in winter, than water taken
from a pump; washing the belly with cold wa
ter ; driving horses into a pond of cold water.
Treatment. Give something to heat the stom
ach and bowels. Try a bottle of warm ale or
porter, adding a little whiskey, or a tcaspoonful
of ground ginger to it. If relief be not obtained
in half an hour, give a drench, composed of tinc
ture of aconite root, twenty-five drops; spirits of
turpentine, one ounce ; one bottle of cold ale or
porter. If necessary, give injections of warm
water, (not hot,) and a handful of table salt. Oc
casionally walk the horse about, to excite the
bowels to action.
(2.) Simeon al Colic. — Sipjiptoms. Similar to
11m above variety, but continues longer, and is
not quite so severe or painful.
Cavses. Impaction or constipation of the bow
els.
Treatment. Powdered aloes, one ounce; tinc
ture of aconite root, twenty-five drops; chloro
form, half an ounce. Mix in a bottle of ale or
porter, and give in a drench out of a horn, or
stout bottle. The aconite will have to be given
every four horn’s, till the pain has given way.—
Encourage the operations of the aloes by injec
tions every hour.
(3.) Flatulent Colic.— Symptoms. Pain is
considerable at first, which in a few hours gives
way to sleepiness, (see Coma.) This is caused
by distention of the bowels with gas, commonly
called wind, thereby paralyzing the par vagus
and nerve centres, and ultimately the brain itself.
This variety of colic is readily distinguished from
the others by the swelling of the belly, particu
larly at the flanks, called tympanitis, or drum
belly.
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR.
Causes. Indigestion of food in the stomach;
fomentation is set up, and there is evolution
(giving forth) of carbonic acid gas. This gas is
not liberated per rectum from the body as speed
ily ns generated. The horse and cow cannot
belch or cruet wind from their stomachs as man
and the dog can; hence the frequency of tympa
nitis in horses and cows.
Treatment.. Try injections first, as in many ca
ses I have cured this variety by this means alone.
If gas or wind come away with the injection, the
case will soon end well. When no benefit is de
rived from the injections, give, in a little cold
water, aloes in powder, one ounce; sulphuric
ether, one ounce; tincture of opium, tw T o ounces.
If these measures fail iu giving ease from pain,
pour two ounces of chloroform on a small moist
sponge, and hold it to the nostrils, not too close
ly, but admit a portion of air with the fumes of
the chloroform, (see Medicines.) The sponge
may be placed in a towel, and the ends carried
up around the nose of the horse, to save "waste;
or place the sponge in the bottom of a nose-bag,
and put it on his head, but not too close upon the
nose.
Last Remedy. It must be confessed that tty 1
longer this disease is unrelieved, the more remote
is the chance of recovery, as the bowel some
times contracts upon itself, or nearly closes alto
gether. To overcome this condition an opera
tion is recommended, which I do not say will be
a success, nor yet a failure. When it failed in
my hands, it was not because the gas was not let
out of the bowels, but because the blood had be
come so disintegrated, and the nervous centres
so paralyzed, that the sanative powers of the con
stitution had received too great a shock to ever
rally again.
The Operation. Procure an instrument, (see In
struments,) called a trocar. If this be not at
hand, sharpen a breakfast knife, and measure an
equal distance from the haunch bone and tlie
short rib, and not too high upon the back; force
the knife into the distended bowel, and turn the
knife in the wound thus made, and hold it there
until all the imprisoned gas has escaped; and as
the gas sometimes still accumulates, keep the
knife or instrument in the wound, if it be for half
a day. When the knife or instrument is taken
out, place a piece of sticking plaster over the
wound. (See Medicines.)
Stones, or hair calculi, are often found, after
death, in the bowels of horses subject to colic.—