COURSE AND TERMIXATION. 379 



in character from weak and feeble to rather strong, the tem- 

 perature ranging from 103° F. to 105° F. In the sUghtl}' 

 affected cases the appetite will not be impaired, and the bowels 

 may be natural. In the severely seized the animal is prostrate, 

 perfectly unable to rise, Avill neither eat nor drink, but con- 

 tinues to make ineffectual attempts to rise, and struggles 

 violently with his legs until completely exhausted. In these 

 latter there is occasionally indications of cerebral disturbance, 

 partial coma, with much engorgement of conjunctival mem- 

 branes. 



During the time they remain recumbent, also in many cases 

 which have been placed in slings, there are periodic tits of 

 straining, ejectment of small quantities of dirty-coloured urine, 

 or constant and involuntary dribbling of it from the passages. 



Course and Termination. — All cases, even those which at the 

 first seem very much alike, do not comport them or proceed 

 to a termination exactly similar. Some, as already noted, are 

 struck down at once as by apoplexy, they struggle violently for a 

 few hours, become comatose, and die; others, after the abatement 

 of the more severe symptoms, make no further progress, and, 

 although they may be perfectly conscious and have a fair or 

 good appetite, never regain the use of their limbs, and either 

 keep the ground until other complications carry them off, or 

 they are destroyed as unfit for further use. In the majority 

 of cases that do not terminate fatally, and where the urine 

 gradually recovers its natural condition, either with or with- 

 out the employment of medicinal remedies, the muscular 

 spasms steadily lessen in severity, and the power of movement 

 is restored, the horse in a few days appearing in its usual 

 health without any impaired functional activity. Some, again, 

 there are, where the natural condition of the urine is restored 

 with removal of the unnatural muscular contraction, but 

 where defective action, or perfect want of power in certain 

 muscles, or sets of muscles, continue for some considerable 

 time ; these, however, as a rule, under appropriate treatment 

 may be expected to recover. 



Restoration of healthy character to the urinary secretion is 

 sometimes unattended with perfect or ultimate recovery ; this 

 is the more probable where cerebral symptoms continue per- 

 sistent after this local diagnostic feature has disappeared. 



