522 THE HORSE. 
the spine. Sometimes the body of a vertebra is broken, and the parts 
being separated, their edges press upon the spinal cord and produce the 
disease. At others the vessels within the canal have received a shock, 
and the serous membrane secretes (or allows to ooze out) a bloody fluid 
which presses upon the cord, and produces the same effect but in a more 
gradual manner. In India, a disease known there as Kumree causes 
paralysis of the hinder extremities, and is due to inflammation of the 
membranes, which secrete a bloody serum. In this country, however, 
paraplegia is very rare excepting as the result of accident. 
WHEN A HORSE FALLS in hunting, and never moves his hind legs after- 
wards, but lies with his fore legs in the position to get up, groaning and 
expressing great pain and distress, it may be concluded that he has 
fractured or dislocated his spine and that the case is hopeless. Some- 
times, however, after lying for a few seconds, he slowly and with difficulty 
rises and is led to a stable, but after two or three hours lies down and 
cannot be got up again. Here there will be some difficulty in ascertaining 
whether the mischief is confined to a strain of the muscles or is situated 
within the vertebral canal. If the former is the case the pain is extreme, 
and generally there will be some quivering or slight spasm of one or more 
of the muscles of the hinder extremity, which feel naturally firm, while 
in paralysis they feel soft and are as quiet as they would be after death. 
By attention to these signs the two cases may be distinguished, but when 
the case is made out to be true paralysis the treatment is not likely (even 
if successful in preserving life) to bring about a useful restoration tc 
healthy action. In valuable horses an attempt may be made by bleeding, 
physicking and blistering to produce an absorption of the effused serum or 
blood, but the recovered animal is seldom worth the outlay, and too often 
as soon as he is put to any kind of work is snbiect to a relapse. The 
most humane and certainly the most economical plan is to put him out 
ot his misery at once by a pistol ball or knife, but if it is determined to 
try what can be done towards effecting a cure, no better means can be 
adopted than those I have alluded to. 
STRING HALT. 
‘THIS IS A PECULIAR SNATCHING up of the hind leg, and is supposed to 
depend upon some obscure disease of the sciatic nerve. It however is 
very doubtful whether this explanation is well founded, and there is 
evidence that in some cases the hock itself has been affected. The 
extensor pedis seems to be the muscle most severely implicated, though 
not the only one which is thrown into spasmodic action. No treatment 
is of the slightest avail. Horses with string halt are able to do any 
kind of work, but it is considered to be a form of unsoundness. 
