350 ACUTE CEREBRAL INFLAMMATIOXS. 



Fever is a distinct character of the one, imassociated with 

 gastric derangement; in the other it is not. When taken 

 early, the symptomatic form is capable of removal by ordinary 

 treatment : the other does not yield readily to medicine. 



Treatment of Encephalic Inflammations. — From the earliest 

 period to the present time, this class of inflammations has 

 been generally treated by a vigorous carrying out of the entire 

 course of the so-called antiphlogistic remedies. Now, how- 

 ever, with our altered views of the nature of this process, and 

 the relative importance of the different phenomena of which 

 it is made up, the carrying out of this method in every instance 

 is regarded as rather doubtful ; while we know that in actual 

 practice there are encountered many cases in which indiscrimi- 

 nate depletion and a rigorous enforcement of a lowering dietary 

 are productive of results anything but desirable. Generally in 

 those cases resulting from injuries, or where congestion is a 

 marked feature, or excitement and febrile disturbance are high, 

 especially when unconnected with any zymotic or constitutional 

 disease, blood-letting is indicated, will be well borne, and is 

 likely to relieve the urgency of these symptoms. When, how- 

 ever, the exalted nervous and muscular activities, indicative of 

 cerebral disturbance, occur during the course of some grave 

 constitutional disease, bleeding is generally unadvisable, badly 

 borne, and attended with disastrous results. 



During the earliest stages, those of excitement, marked 

 benefit will sometimes result from the employment locally of 

 ice, cloths saturated with cold water, or some evaporating 

 lotion. Early attention to the digestive canal is absolutely 

 needful, and promptly unloading it by means of a cathartic is 

 in all cases attended with benefit. 



Having placed the animal in as quiet a situation as it is 

 possible to obtain, and being satisfied that the bowels have 

 acted, or are likely to respond to the medicine given, the con- 

 tinued febrile symptoms are most successfully combated by the 

 use of salines, as nitrate or chlorate of potash, given separately 

 or combined, or alternated with full doses of acetated liquor 

 ammonia ; any of these are taken readily enough in the drink- 

 insr-water. Freedom from disturbance in all these cases is ab- 

 solutely essential to success in treatment, and this, with correct 

 sanitary conditions, ought to be strictly carried out. 



