ristaltic motion of the bowels and
to favor the escape of wind. Blankets wrung out of hot water do much to
afford relief; they should be renewed every 5 or 10 minutes and covered
with a dry woolen blanket. This form of colic is much more fatal than
cramp colic, and requires prompt and persistent treatment. It is
entirely unsafe to predict the result, some apparently mild attacks
going on to speedy death, while others that at the onset appear to be
very severe yielding rapidly to treatment. No efforts should be spared
until the animal is known to be dead. In these severe cases puncturing
of the bowels in the most prominent (distended) part by means of a small
trocar and cannula or with a needle of a hypodermic syringe, thus
allowing the escape of gas, has often saved life, and such punctures, if
made with a clean, sharp instrument that is not allowed to remain in the
horse too long, are accompanied with little danger and do more to
relieve the patient quickly than any other treatment.

SPASMODIC OR CRAMP COLIC.--This is the name given to that form of colic
produced by contraction, or spasm, of a portion of the small intestines.
It is produced by indigestible feed; large drinks of cold water when the
animal is warm; driving a heated horse through deep streams; cold rains;
drafts of cold air, etc. Unequal distribution of or interference with
the nervous supply here produces cramp of the bowels, the same as
external cramps are produced. Spasmodic colic is much more frequently
met with in high-bred, nervous horses than in coarse, lymphatic ones.

_Symptoms._--These should be carefully studied in order to diagnose this
from other forms of colic requiring quite different treatment. Spasmodic
colic always begins suddenly. If feeding, the horse is seen to stop
abruptly, stamp impatiently, and probably look back. He soon evinces
more acute pain, shown by pawing, suddenly lying down, rolling, and
getting up. During the period of pain the intestinal sounds, as heard by
applying the ear over the flank, are louder than in health. 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 pass off again for a time. As the attack
progresses these intervals of ease become shorter and shorter, and pain
may be continuous, though even then there are exacerbations of pain.
Animals suffering from this form of colic evince the mo