214 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



congestion is sufficient to produce compression of the cord, paraplegia 

 may be complete. Usually fever, spasms, muscular twitching, or 

 muscular rigidity are absent, which will serve to distinguish spinal 

 congestion from spinal meningitis. 



Treatment. — Hot-water applications to the spine, 1-dram doses 

 fluid extract of belladonna repeated every four hours, and tincture 

 of aconite root 20 drops every hour until the symptoms become amel- 

 iorated. If no inflammatory products occur, the animal is likely to 

 recover. 



SPINAL ANEMIA. 



This may be caused by extreme cold, exhausting diseases, spinal 

 embolism or plugging of a spinal blood vessel, an interference with 

 the circulation through the abdominal aorta, from compression, 

 thrombosis, or aneurism of that vessel; the spinal vessels may be 

 caused to contract through vaso-motor influence, a result of periph- 

 eral irritation of some nerve. 



Symptoms. — Spinal anemia causes paralysis of the muscles used in 

 extending the limbs. When the bladder is affected, it precedes the 

 weakness of motion, while in spinal congestion it follows, and in- 

 creased sensibility, in place of diminished sensibility, as in spinal con- 

 gestion, is observed. Pressure along the spine causes excessive pain. 



Treatmjent. — If the exciting cause can be removed, the animal re- 

 covers ; if this fails, the spinal cord may undergo softening. 



SPINAL COMPRESSION. 



When caused by tumors or otherwise, when pressure is slight, it 

 produces a paralysis of the muscles used in extending a limb and con- 

 traction of those which flex it. Wlien compression is great it causes 

 comj^lete loss of sensibility and motion posterior to the compressed 

 part of the cord. 



Compression of a lateral half of the cord produces motor paralysis, 

 disturbance of the circulation, and difficulty of movement, an in- 

 creased sensibility on the side corresponding to the compressed sec- 

 tion, and a diminished sensibility and some paralysis on the opposite 

 side. 



Treatmjent. — When it occurs as a sequence of a preceding inflam- 

 matory disease, iodide of potassa and general tonics are indicated. 

 When due to tumors growing within the spinal canal, or to pressure 

 from displaced bone, no form of treatment will result in any benefit. 



SPINAL HEMORRHAGE. 



This may occur from changes in the wall of the blood vessels, in 

 connection with tumors, acute myelitis, traumatic injuries, etc. The 

 blood may escape through the pia mater into the subarachnoid cavity, 

 and large clots be formed. 



