Complete Treatise on the mare and foal at the time of delivery, with illustrations. / Also on cows and calves, with stallion and mare, when diseased by Gonorrhea (clap) or Pox, also Diarrhea and Costiveness in Colts.

by Conrad Mitchell

COSTIVENESS IN COLTS.

Sometimes colts which are foaled early in the Spring, owing to the dry food of the mare, will become so costive, that they will inevitably die, if not relieved. As a general thing, this costiveness is confined to the rectum.

To relieve the colt, it should be drenched with half a teacupful of milk from the mare, which should contain Barbadoes Aloes, the size of a grain of corn, pulverized, and about an equal amount of ginger, every six hours; at the same time an injection should be prepared, as follows: take one quart of wheat bran, and pour on it three quarts of boiling water. When cold draw off the liquid, add one teacupful of sweet milk, half a teacupful of molasses. Then by means of a syringe inject this composition into the rectum. Or, if a syringe cannot be procured, a bladder with a clean piece of elder tied in the neck of it may be introduced into the rectum. In a few minutes after, a finger should be inserted in the rectum, when a small ball of excrement may be taken out, about the size of a hickory-nut. I have often taken out twelve and fourteen such balls in the course of twenty minutes. After this no more medicine is needed.

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