500 ACUTE RED SOFTENING OF THE CORD. 



The sounds were quite normal at the apex, but the second 

 replaced by the beat already mentioned at the base. By 

 pressing the instrument on the carotid, a double murmur 

 was heard with each heart-beat. 



The mare was now much easier, and the perspiration less 

 free. A purgative was administered. 



December 30th. Patient much easier, pulse 45, bowels 

 acting normally. Put a mustard poultice over the loins. 



December 31st. Mare much the same as yesterday, fed 

 well, and the only noticeable symptom was the paraplegia. 

 The owner now consented to have it destroyed. 



January 2d, 1864 At 11 A.M. Dr A. Gamgee and Mr 

 Law examined the heart, which had been removed yester- 

 day morning. Water poured into the aorta did not descend 

 into the ventricle. Water poured into the pulmonary 

 artery, flowed gradually into the right ventricle. The 

 valves, notwithstanding, showed no symptom of structural 

 change. The right ventricle seemed slightly dilated, pro- 

 bably from regurgitation of blood. 



On laying open the spinal cord, its membranes appeared 

 little altered from health. The cord in the dorsal and 

 anterior half of the lumbar region appeared healthy. In the 

 posterior part of the lumbar region the extremities of the 

 anterior horns were much more vascular than is natural, 

 while two or three inches of the extremity of the cord was 

 quite softened and pulpy, and almost diffluent. Microscopic 

 examination showed soft varicose nerve tubes, globules 

 formed by their disintegration, and numerous exudation 

 corpuscles the appearances, indeed, which are described 

 as characteristic of acute red softening of nervous matter. 



Mr Stirling, Assistant Conservator of the Anatomical 

 Museum of the University of Edinburgh, kindly undertook 

 to harden some of the diseased portions of the cord, and to 



