470 TETANUS TEISMUS LOCKED-JAW. 



legs, and examined the axillary plexus of each side, which was highly 

 inflamed, and the nerves leading from them were in a state of inflam- 

 mation even to their very centre." 



When the body is bent forwards, as is often seen in 

 poisoning by strychnine, the condition is called emprostho- 

 tonos. The term pleurosthotonos is applied to lateral tetanus 

 in which the body is curved to one side. 



The ordinary symptoms of tetanus are very characteristic. 

 In the earliest stage an animal is seen to grind its teeth 

 and champ with its jaws. There is often a considerable dis- 

 charge of saliva, and in approaching or otherwise exciting 

 the animal, the muscles of the face and neck are seen to 

 twitch. The breathing is accelerated, nostrils expanded, 

 nose protruded, and head elevated. The pulse is frequent, 

 hard, and incompressible. On looking at the eyes they 

 are found to be spasmodically drawn into the orbit, and 

 the haw, or cartilage nictitans (commonly called " white of 

 the eye "), is seen to protrude over the eyeball. The mouth 

 may at first be opened rather freely, but as the disease 

 advances, the strong masseter muscles prevent the jaw sepa- 

 rating any distance. When the tetanic symptoms become 

 general, the position of individual parts is regulated by 

 the action of the more potent groups of muscles. Thus, 

 the elevators of the tail being stronger than the pressors, 

 cause an elevation. The anus is contracted powerfully. 

 The limbs are forcibly extended, and cannot be flexed with 

 freedom, so that the animal stands with obstinately out- 

 stretched limbs. The insertions of the levator humeri are 

 distinctly traced, and the superior cervical muscles cause 

 the appearance termed " ewe neck," and which once secured 

 for tetanus the term " stag evil." Mr Percival says that 

 voluntary muscles are those specially involved, but from the 

 first we observe the partially voluntary and involuntary 



