THE STAGGERS, OR APOPLEXY 9 



He moves to and fro while standing, and seems 

 liable to fall at every movement. His sight and 

 hearing are much impaired. He will remain in this 

 condition from one to twelve hours ; he then falls. 

 His eyes are open and protruding, with a fixed, 

 seemingly unconscious, stare, with the pupils much 

 dilated ; he grinds his teeth, the whole frame mani- 

 fests twitchings, the veins of the neck are distended, 

 and in attempting to swallow, the drink is returned 

 by the nostrils and mouth, and he dungs involun- 

 tarily : strong convulsive twitchings follow, and these 

 are the certain preludes to death. 



In the first stage of the disease there is depression, 

 sleepiness, and feebleness, which is distinctly indicated 

 by dulness of the eye. As it increases, he presses his 

 head against the wall or the rack, and when aroused 

 from this position he seems alarmed. 



CAUSES. A deranged state of the digestive organs 

 is the most ordinary cause, and this is the effect of 

 over-feeding in many cases. Some persons are so 

 foolish as to suppose that horses may have as much 

 grain as they can eat, and that it will do them no 

 harm. This is a serious mistake ; because, even 

 without the aid of water, the grain will swell in the 

 stomach, and from being completely overloaded, in- 

 digestion follows, the stomach being too much dis- 

 tended to be able to perform its office. The head is 

 affected, as in the animal economy a very intimate 

 connection exists between the brain and stomach, each 

 reciprocally influencing the other. The want of 

 exercise with horses which are highly fed, also tends 

 to derange the stomach, more especially during warm 

 weather. The bracing influence of exercise being 

 wanting to give energy to the actions of the intestinal 

 canal, the food frequently lodges there*. This is also 



