DIAGNOSIS. — TREATMENT. 401 



From chronic articular rheumatism, with which it is most 

 likely to be confounded, it may be distinguished by the 

 presence of the distinct paralytic features, the irregular 

 recurrence of the muscular spasms and twitchings, and the 

 more distinctive indications of disturbed nutrition. 



In articular rheumatism we have also the character of 

 the local swellings to guide us ; their disposition to change 

 situations, and the acute and persistent pain wherever it is 

 located. 



The assistance in diagnosis to be obtained by Faradisation 

 — the passage of an electric current through the affected 

 muscles — so helpful in doubtful cases in the human subject, 

 has not, so far as I am aware, been made applicable in our 

 practice ; it might, however, be useful. 



Treatment. — In treating the acute form of lead-poisoning it 

 would appear that a larger amount of success generally attends 

 our efforts in the case of the horse than of cattle. This may 

 in some measure be accounted for from the fact that, in the 

 ruminant, the material ingested is usually in a solid form, 

 difficult, if not impossible, to be broken up or passed on, and 

 extremely likely to lodge amongst the ingesta which is always, 

 notwithstanding the action of purgatives, remaining in the 

 pouches of the rumen. 



The agents inducing the morbid action are, in the horse, 

 less frequentl}^ of the solid form, and their nature is usually 

 such that they may with more certainty be chemically acted 

 upon, or got rid of by maintaining a somewhat lax condition 

 of the canal. 



In all cases where we know, or suspect, that lead-compounds 

 have been ingested, our main object, until satisfied that these 

 have been removed, or their power to injure destroyed, must 

 be directed to the exhibition of agents believed to be capable 

 of preventing the formation of soluble compounds of the 

 metal, or if these are believed already to exist, to neutralize 

 their action, at the same time that the natural evacuant func- 

 tion of the bowels is excited and maintained. Having these 

 ends in view, we generally adopt as a purgative the sulphate'of 

 magnesia or soda, to which sulphur and dilute sulphuric 

 acid have been added. These agents are used with the view 

 of converting the lead-compounds existing in the canal, into 



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