ACUTE SPINAL INFLAMMATION. 359 



may bo conveniently regarded as exhibiting itself in either an 

 acute or chronic manner. 



Acute spinal inflammation may result from — 1. Violence, 

 and external injury of any kind ; 2. Disease of the bony seg- 

 ments of the canal ; 3. Exposure to damp, and extremes of 

 temperature, particularly when exhausted by overwork ; 4. It 

 may start into existence unconnected with appreciable causes. 

 When occurring from injury or violence the connection between 

 cause and effect is not dithcult to trace ; while, when the injury 

 is severe, the rapidity with which the process of inflammation 

 progresses, and the extent and nature of the structural changes 

 which follow, may be said to preclude all chance of recovery. 

 Of course the cases of spinal inflammation included in this cate- 

 gory are chiefly such as must be regarded as purely surgical, and 

 the lesions are primarily such as interfere with the integrity of 

 the cord, either by fracture or displacement of the bony seg- 

 ments of the canal, resulting in compression, directly by the 

 displacement of the bones, or indirectly through the presence of 

 the products of the inflammation which has been started in the 

 vascular structures of the cord. When not directly traceable 

 to external violence, the great majority of the cases of spinal 

 inflammation which have come under my notice have appar- 

 ently had their origin in exposure to wet and cold when suflbr- 

 ing from fatigue and exhaustion. They have been either 

 harness-horses, which have been driven rapidly rather long- 

 journeys, and carelessly allowed to remain for some time 

 exposed to damp and cold, or heavy draught animals treated 

 in a similar manner. I have not observed that any age or 

 breed, provided the exciting causes named were in operation, 

 seemed more particularly predisposed to the affection than 

 another. Besides these adverse agencies operating as factors 

 in the production of this disease, there must be taken into 

 consideration such rather inappreciable and ill-understood 

 influences as are spoken of under the terms of heredity and 

 localization of particular or specific poisons. 



Anatomical Characters. — Changes occurring in the cord, the 

 result of inflammatory action, are greatly diversified both as to 

 character and extent. In some instances, even after a careful 

 examination, marvellously trifling changes are to be detected, 

 unless we allow our preconceived ideas to overrun our calmer 



