GRIPES IN HORSES—MISTAKEN SYMPTOMS.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 436, 18 June 1879, Page 2

GRIPES IN HORSES—MISTAKEN SYMPTOMS.

Gripes in horses are generally recognised by the horse pawing the ground with a forefoot violently, looking round at his flanks, throwing himself down, striking out with his feet, and sweating from agony. These are the symptoms which constitute a decisive guide for at least twothirds of horsemen, and the animal is, according to the. orthodox method, dosed with' gin or ale nnd pepper, or laudanum, oil, and turpentine ; he is qled and-generally blistered. This treatment may be exceedingly good under certain circumstances. For mere u windy colic,” either gin or ale and pepper or the other, may complete a cure quickly; but should it happen not to be “ windy colic,” but inflammation of the bowels, or of the stomach, or of the liver, or of the mesentery, then all these hot fieiy preparations become a deadly poison. How important, then, it must be to be in possession of some simple guide or test. ' Any scientific man could tell at once, but this is ho advantage to the great bulk of people, who must depend on their own wits. I am not writing this article with the idea of stating a simple test, but rather with the idea of getting horsemen to bear continually in mind that mere “ windy colic” is not. half so common as is generally believed. I find that other diseases occur to the bowels five times lor the once of gripes, and that all these other diseases are intensified by all forms of fiery drugs such as I - have named. ’ Ido not say but that there are medicines which if they do no good cannot do much harm, such as oil and laudanum, chlorelyne, honey and

horehound, but I know that these remedies are not generally employed for pain in the bowels. But nearly all forms of gripes may be distinguished from every other bowel complaint by its sudden and violent beginning. Gripes very seldom give any warning; the animal begins at once to lie down, and kick and roll and paw, whereas nearly all inflammatory diseases begin mildly, and grow gradually stronger and more violent. '

This, although a good test, cannot always be noticed ; for not uncommonly a horse is ill a long time before he is seen, and this test is of no use; besides “ gripes,” if not cured in an hoar,-must pass into “ inflammation,” so that if the pains have not been driven away by the gin, or pepper and ale, or ginger and ale, these remedies in the nature of things remain to irritate and render a cure more hopeless.

Bearing, then, in mind the fact that many diseases occurring in the bowels exhibit symptoms which an ordinary person would most likely pronounce gripes, and bearing also in mind what is known about gripes, especially in a hot country, passing rapidly into, inflammation, all should be careful not to use remedies of a dangerous kind, but be content if professional skill cannot be had, to use medicines of a mild kind, and trust for a cure particularly to hot cloths confined to the loins, injections of soap and water, or if the horse fs very violent, rubbing into the abdomen mustard mixed with hot vinigar.

Now that medical science is so mu;h divided, the water party would apply only hot cloths to the loins and abdomen ; the small-dose party, or hompjpathists, would use small doses of mix vomica, ami aconite; another school holds by chloredyne and tobacco injections; another by carbonate of atmffonia bolus, and injections, with belly blisters ; whereas the country owner uses something which happens to be in the house. My principal business herein is to arouse my readers to the fact that they are very liable to injure an animal, and that they should try to distinguish the appearance of one disease from another, •*, and I may in a few weeks hald them in this business.— Sydney Mail.