4SO PHRENITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. 



peculiar apparatus on the head to contain a damped sponge, 

 but this is obviously useless, as the disease is entirely due 

 to the malformation of the neck and the manner in which 

 the collar rests on it. 



ENCEPHALITIS PHRENITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN 

 MENINGITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE MEMBRANOUS 

 COVERINGS OF THE BRAIN. 



Although Mr Percivall and others have devoted distinct 

 chapters to inflammation of the brain and of its coverings, 

 we find in practice that it is impossible to distinguish the 

 one from the other during the life of an animal. They 

 occur principally in the horse and ox, and the morbid 

 changes usually implicate one part of the cranial contents. 

 The most common cause of either meningitis or phrenitis is 

 injury such as concussion or fracture, and as an idiopathie 

 affection occurring independently of injury, I regard 

 phrenitis as almost an unknown disease. If animals are 

 allowed stimulants in excess, however, we may expect con- 

 gestions, extravasations of blood, and even inflammation 

 of the brain ; such a cause rarely operates in inducing such 

 lesions, if I except the singular cases first reported in the 

 Edinburgh Veterinary Review, by Mr George Dundas, and 

 which occur in cattle. 



Mr Dundas refers to the malady as a form of chorea, but 

 the post-mortem appearances satisfactorily indicate that 

 the results of the cerebral irritation are congestions and 

 inflammatory changes. The disease is due to the prevailing 

 practice in different parts of Scotland, of giving " burnt 

 ales" to cows in the neighbourhood of distilleries. The ale 

 is given by steeping straw into it, and the animals will also 

 drink it freely. They often sleep soundly after such a 

 beverage, and sometimes symptoms of intoxication are 



