TWISTED INTESTINE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 118, 20 May 1932, Page 4

TWISTED INTESTINE

VETERINARY OPINIOISi ON

PHAR LAP'S DEATH

It is highly probable that the cause of the death of Xew Zealand's "wonder horse," Pkar Lap was volvulus, or twisted intestine, states a well-known 'English veterinary surgeon, writing to an English paper. ■ ■ . .-." .. >..'.'• •Colic, from which the horse was reported to have died, is not clearly denned in the. veterinary world. It means simply abdominal pain, .'which may arise from many causes. The most common cause is indigestion, due to some dietetic or digestive error or disturbance. It is-occasion-ally, clue to fatigue. '• ■ " ; ■ The>syniptotns are very alarming to the lay person, but most of these'simple ®ses endv favourably. Means are taken to allayithe.pain and to remove the offending digestive products, and the symptoms abate:v. .■;■ ■--•-,- . • Alosfrof the cases of so-called colic which are fatal ate due to other, than digestive' causes, such as the twisting of,one portion of the. bowel. This probably, caused' the death of PhaivLap. '; ..'..; .:.■ : In the case of'such a-valuable horse as Phar Lap the possibility of the malicious administration of some poisonous substance is bound to arisen fpiy, in fact, the symptoms'of most cases-.of ■'colic are almost identical with thoaej of ;many forms of pois.ou.ing. Subsequent cables from Cali-' forma; however, /geeined-'-to-iVureV.but the queStipiiYof ;,£oulrplayt'■ :./'i.:. ; ,'.' '"• v .;. •: : .■"■ Tlie^fpot;trouble"from which: Phar Lap had; suffered'might be-disulisse'd 'from' any connection with Ms death, 'the"writer continues. He had what is called sand crack, which occurs frequently in all classes of horses. It'may be seen daily in the London streets. It is due to a brittleness of- the hoof material owing to evaporation of the moisture from the hoof, and I have no doubt that the transfer of Phar Lap from Australia to America, intoa different climate, caused the trouble. If/the.ioqt:.tr,ouble • hjid••'.been serious Phar; LapJwould hay"& Beeit lame, and there is no report.of. bad himeness. ,'.

. The;:idea thatI.thoroughbreds are less robust ;than ' any ,:other type of horse - is-eri-orieous. "...It is well known that. a hun-' terror;? an- ordinary:viyorking. horse that has. a '.'bit:.of blood"-will outlast in.workiut years; more coarsely-bred 'animals. ;. T'6e' general robustness of racelipises is alsor'shown by the low. "mortality '.amonfe.: thorpjighbieds, and;the great age to which sohi.e; p^'them live.'St.-Simon, t'ot-Jexampl^y was'27'years. old.when he died.. ' -:

The chief causes of untimely death in racehorses are ■ ruptured blood .Vessels— which caused the death of Humorist sdon after.liis Derby vietoiy. in 1021—oy'eistiained Jieart, and diseases, of the arteries due to thy rpresence of small Worms in the arteiy-walls.- • • .-' .-,

Thb .last-nnmed', disability is 'one of the greatest .terrors to' the bloodstock breeder.Many'of the older,paddocks. ,irp infested with jthese worms. - Fortunately trainers and breeders know all the infected places,' aud (Veterinary science can, if-.'given time, deal adequately witli diseased arteries by the' use" of stomach pumps 'and 'anti-para-v sitie'inedicines, coupled with-attention to' the'pasture. • ..,■"'. ' ~-,*4-,common ailment in thoroughbreds is feversiu.the feet, oi- laminitis, ironx which the well-known sire Abbot's.-Trace died. It is^caused by tha terrific -exertion the animal has to make at.timcsi which sets up congestion in the feet; and also by the.highly, nitrogenous method.of feeding. ■ '•Who left the ' corn bin... open last ilighW ' is a common query when a horse ■is found in the, morning to be 'suffeiin'" from'laminitis. "-, -

It is unfortunate that in .t'he'ease of hftrßes.-major-surgical operations on the' abdomen areont.df -the question, Wing to the bulk o£ the" animal, the' size of the intestines, and., llie' unsuitable nature of the surroundings in-which the operatiouwouldihaye to be performed. •