t?46 DISEASES AFFECTING THE CEREBR.iL CIRCULATIOX. 



ance of consciousness is attended with local superficial venous 

 engorgement, stertorous breathing, and a full and rather strong 

 cardiac action in young and previously healthy animals, 

 blood-letting is indicated. When the opposite conditions 

 obtain, the most which we are warranted in doing is to 

 place the animal in as favourable a position as possible, with 

 the head rather elevated ; attend to the general comfort, allow 

 plenty of fresh air, with cold water to the head, friction, and 

 woollen bandages to the extremities. Where shock has been 

 considerable, and collapse is imminent, stimulation may be 

 usefully employed through means of enemata, attention in all 

 cases being given to relieve the bowels, which are likely to be 

 confined. In all the severer attacks, however, of cerebral haemor- 

 rhage, there is little chance of recovery ; while a rapidly fatal 

 termination is to be preferred to recovery with partial 

 j)aralysis, and a decided tendency to recurrence. 



CHAPTER V. 



ACUTE CEREBRAL INFLAMMATIONS. 



Synonyms. — Encephalitis — Cerebritis, Inflammation of the Sub- 

 stance of the Brain ; Meningitis — Inflammation of the Brain- 

 coverings. 



Causation. — Cerebral inflammations of every type chiefly 

 occur in the horse — 1. As the result of direct violence sustained 

 from without, as injury to the bones of the cranium ; 2. From 

 disease of these bones ; 3. From exhaustion and exposure, j)ar- 

 ticularly to the rays of the sun ; 4. As the result of certain 

 specific fevers ; 5. From the entrance into the system pro- 

 bably of some specific virus, as in cerebro-spinal fever. 



Anatomical Characters. — The greater number of cases of cere- 

 bral inflammation which I have had the opportunity of ex- 

 aminmg have been those Avhere the diseased process followed 

 as a result of injury or of bone-disease. In these the appear- 

 ances were tolerably uniform, in a few less plainly marked 

 than might have been expected considering the severity of the 

 symptoms exhibited during life. The membranes of the brain 



