450 Vetermary Medicine. 



case the muscles are firm and well developed, diet has been 

 liberal, embracing a large proportion of albuminoids, work has 

 been constant up to within a day or two preceding the attack, 

 when the animal has been left absolutely idle in the stall without 

 any reduction of feed. Then finally it has been suddenly sub- 

 jected to active exertion which demands vigorous muscular move- 

 ment, and above all activity of the respiratory muscles and the 

 heart. This exertion usually consists in riding under the saddle 

 or going in harness, but may attend on casting in the stall, 

 lounging in a ring, or in a playful run when suddenly set at 

 liberty. 



Severe Cases. The attack comes on early in the course of 

 such exercise. The patient may not have gone more than one 

 hundred yards from the stable or he may have traveled for half 

 an hour or an hour, but the disease rarely shows itself after a 

 longer period of work. 



The horse which left the .stable full of life and spirit, suddenly 

 flags and hangs on the bit, the ears or head may drop, and one 

 or more limbs usually the hind ones, are moved stiffly and 

 awkwardly, or even stagger. He knuckles over at the fetlocks, 

 drags the toes on the ground, flexes the joints imperfecth', the 

 muscles appearing to be rigid and uncontrollable, or he crouches, 

 the joints remaining semi-flexed the animal in vain attempting to 

 extend them. The patient trembles violentl}', sweats profusely, 

 breathes deeply and rapidly and as.sumes a pinched, anxious, 

 agonized expres.sion of countenance. The heart beats tumultu- 

 ou.sl)', the pulse (in 84 per cent. Friedberger and Frohner ) is 

 accelerated to a variable degree, and the temperature is still nor- 

 mal (in 80 per cent. Friedberger and Frohner), or rareh^ exceeds 

 ioi.5°F. There is often tenderness on percussion and some- 

 times even on manipulation over the loins, short ribs, and the 

 croup, and pinching of the loins may cause wincing. The 

 affected muscle or muscles (lumbar, gluteal, crural ) are usually 

 firm, hard and tender, they may be the seat of spasm or of 

 oedema and paresis. The.se parts may, however, have their 

 sensitiveness lessened and even punctures or electric currents may 

 have little effect on them. 



Soon the increasing muscular weakness is incompatible with 

 the maintenance of the standing position, the bending of the 



