The Grenada gazette., 1886-01-23
COLIC IN HORSES.
A Very Common Disease That Might
Easily he Prevented.

inevitable consequence OF indigestion
produced by wrong and irregular
feeding, the use of ice-cold water, feed
ing when the animals are wearied by
overwork or exposure TO cold and Civ
ing water too soon after feeding. Feed
ing animals of all kinds is one of the
most particular of all farm duties. The
stomach and other digestive organs are
exceedingly delicate and are very easily
disturbed. A watch is delicate piece
of machinery, and every one knows
how much care is needed to keep it in
even fair working order, and how i'm
possible it is to regulate it with perfect
accuracy. The eye is far more delicate
than the most perfectly made watch,
and the stomach and intestines are
even more delicately made, and their
operation is quite as much more sensi-
tive than that of the eye. The weather
even disturbs the digestive process,
worry, weariness, fretting and other
nervous disturbances produce disorder
of these sensitive organs, and any
person who knows how his own system
is disturbed by these accidents and i'm
proprieties may realize how the equally
nervous high-strung horse may suffer
from all these failures and faults Of
management.
No doubt the useful life of horse is
reduced in length of time to one third
its possible extent by errors in its man
agement, and the worst errors are
made in feeding and watering, and
watering is really a very important
part of the feeding> A horses useful
life is thirty years. but how small a
proportion of them are in good working
order at ten or fifteen years, and how
many perish at an earlier age, thus re-
ducing the average of our figure to
one-third. And more horses die Of
sudden attacks of collie in winter than
of all other diseases combined. A typ
ical case which occurred within our
knowledge might be mentioned because
it gives caution which may be gen
orally useful A horse which had been
ridden thirty miles without stoppage or
feeding was given twelve large ears Of
new damp corn as soon as he was
turned into the stable. In an hour he
was found struggling in a violent fit of
collie, which continued for three or four
hours, when the animal suddenly ap-
peared to be eascd. At this moment
the writer was asked to see the horse
The ease was only apparent. The eyes
were half closed; the nostrils drawn
up, giving very miserable appearance
to the countenance; the breathing was
short and the pulse exceedingly weak,
but quite rapid, counting fully eighty
to the minute. 1t was clear the pres
sure of gas in the stomach from the
fermenting corn had ruptured that Of
gan, and the horse would die very soon.
In an hour the animal died in stupor
Many such cases occur without the
knowledge of the owner, the horse be-
ing found dead in the stall IN the morn
ing, when death is attributed to any
but the right cause.
Collie Is of two kinds, flatulent and
windy. or spasmodic and nervous and
consisting of cramps of the bowels.
The former kind occurs mostly soon
after feeding, and is accompanied by
distension of the belly, which is hard
and resonant when struck; the horse
suffers continuous pain, spreads the
fore feet apart, yawns, arches the neck
and makes attempts to relieve himself
of the gas which fills the stomach and
bowels. In many cases the animal
stands with the head resting against
the manger, or pushing against the
side of the stall and in a condition of
stupor and partial insensibility. At
other times there is considerable rum
bling of gas through the bowels, with
frequent discharges of it from the rec
tum, along with small quantities of
dung. There is not so much restless
ness and reckless, violent action in this
form as in the spasmodic collie, and no
cold sweating; the pain is continuous,
hn 70 n nj
use of stimulants, such as ginger, aro.
matte ammonia, alcohol or nux vom.
lea, with warm, soapy water injections
and walking exercise, will usually be
found beneficial if taken in good time,
The other form is the violent one.
The fit comes on suddenly and often on
the road. The horse paws, kicks at the
belly, turns and looks at the hanks; the
eye protrudes and glares and the nos,
trils are dilated; the breathing is quick
and deep, the animal throws himself
down violently; rolls; sits upon his
launches and groans with the agony;
cold sweat breaks out and aperiod of
ease intervenes; the fit then recurring
and passing off alternately. The at
tack finally passes off or it lapses into
Inflammation of the bowels, and may
prove fatal in from six to twenty-four
hours. This form of collie is produced
from prolonged indigestion, which
causes disorder of the liver, kidneys,
inaction of the bowels or nervous dis.
turbance, and also from sudden chill.
ing of the digestive organs by drink
ing cold water when the animal is hot
and exhausted by violent exercise.
Exposure to cold winds under similar
circumstances ar to heavy rains or