Special report on diseases of the horse / prepared under the direction of D.E. Salmon by Drs. Michener [and others].

  • United States. Bureau of Animal Industry.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Special report on diseases of the horse / prepared under the direction of D.E. Salmon by Drs. Michener [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    He soon evinces more acute pain, and this is shown by pawing, sud- denly lying down, rolling, and getting up. There is then an interval of ease; he will resume feeding, and appear to be entirely well. In a little while, however, the pains return and are increased in severity, only to again pass oif for a time. As the attack progresses these intervals of ease become shorter and shorter, and pain may be con- tinuous, though even now there are exacerbations of pain. Animals suffering from this form of colic evince the most intense pain; they throw themselves down, roll over and over, jump up, whirl about, drop down again, paw, or strike, rather, with the front feet, steam and sweat, make frequent attempts to pass their urine, and the penis is ' partially erected. Only a small amount of water is passed at a time, and this is due to the bladder being so frequently emptied, i. e., there is but little water to pass. These attempts to urinate are almost always regarded as sure symptoms of trouble of the kidneys or bladder. In reality they are only one of the many ways in which the horse expresses the presence of pain. Allow me to digress slightly, and to assure the reader that diseases of the bladder or kidneys of the horse are exceed- ingly rare. The stomach and bowels are affected in a thousand instances where the kidneys or bladder are once. Attempts to pass water and failure to do so are not enough to warrant us in pronounc- ing the case one of “trouble with his water,” nor should we, if a horse yields or sinks when pinched over the loins, declare that kidney disease exists. Try this pressure on any horse, and the great majority will be seen to thus yield; in fact, this is rather a sign or symptom of health than of disease. To recapitulate the symptoms of spasmodic colic: Keep in mind the history of the case, the type of horse, the suddenness of the attack, the intervals of ease (which become of shorter duration as the case pro- gresses), the violent pain, the normal temperature and pulse during the intervals of ease, the frequent attempts to urinate, the erection of the penis, etc., and there is but little danger of confounding this with other forms of colic. Treatment. —Since the pain is due to spasm or cramp of the bowels, medicines that overcome spasms—anti-spasmodics—are the ones indi- cated. Probably there is no medicine better than chloral hydrate. This is to be given in a dose of 1 ounce in a half pint of Avater as a drench. A very common and good remedy is sulphuric ether and lau- danum; of each 2 ounces in half pint of linseed oil. Another drench may be composed of 2 ounces each of sulphuric ether and alcohol in 8 ounces of water. If nothing else is at hand Ave may give whisky; one- half pint in hot water. If relief is not obtained in one hour from any of the above doses, they may then be repeated. The body should be Avarmly clothed and perspiration induced. Blankets dipped in very hot water to which a small quantity of turpentine has been added should be placed around the belly and covered with dry blankets, or