PHRENITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. 481 



manifest. The symptoms are as follows : The head is 

 turned singularly to the side, and is slightly elevated The 

 pupils are widely dilated, and the eyes have a remarkably 

 wild appearance. On approaching the animals, they wink 

 rapidly and tremble. There is marked heat of head, horns, 

 and ears. When pressed with the finger in the axilla they 

 fall instantly, and when pulled by the head they incline to 

 turn over. The pulse is about 70 or 80 per minute. Mr 

 Eobert Morris has informed me that the symptoms of cere- 

 bral excitement are very great, and if the animals live on, 

 chronic disease, due to exudations, &c., in the brain become 

 confirmed. One cow, the case of which was reported by 

 Mr Dundas, manifested symptoms of serious illness as the 

 period of calving approached. Symptoms of delirium and 

 interference with the muscular apparatus existed, and the 

 animal had knocked off her horns in falling over in the stall 

 and dashing about. After death all the organs are found 

 healthy except the nervous centres, and both the brain and 

 its membranes are found highly congested. This conges- 

 tion often extends into the spinal canal, and the pia mater 

 over both the brain and cord is the seat of red spots. The 

 redness is either ramified, or is obviously due to blood ex- 

 travasation. Clots of blood have been found in the lateral 

 ventricles, and around the spinal marrow in the cervical 

 regions. There is evidently softening of the brain sub- 

 stance as a direct result of this condition. 



The violent symptoms usually attributed to phrenitis do 

 not occur in the horse or other animal. In the early or 

 congestive stage there may be delirium and paroxysms of 

 excitement, or general convulsions. Symptoms of intense 

 irritative fever supervene ; the eyes are bloodshot ; Schnei- 

 derian membrane red; mouth hot and dry; pupils con- 

 tracted ; breathing stertorous, and pulse wiry and frequent. 

 VOL. n. 4 B 



