176 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE. 



Symptoms. — At first the symptoms may not be so well marked, 

 but they gradually come on. The animal seems very feverish and 

 weak, has a staggering gait, and will sometimes be noticed to 

 strike his hind fetlocks in walking, and, in some cases, if you go 

 to turn him around he will fall down, and, as a general thing, if 

 the disease is allowed to run on, it soon causes paralysis and death. 



Treatment. — Give a physic drench of 



Bitter Aloes . . 8 drams. 



Common Soda 1 teaspoonf ul. 



Ginger 1 " 



Mix in a pint of luke warm water and give as a drench ; also, 

 give the following powder : 



Powdered Nux Vomica ,^ pound. 



Ground Gentian Root J " 



Nitrate of Potash or Saltpetre | " 



Mix thoroughly and give a teaspoonful in his feed or on 

 his tongue with a spoon every night and morning. Keep the 

 animal very quiet in a comfortable place and blister him along the 

 back with a mustard plaster — quarter of a pound of mustard and 

 enough vinegar to make it into a paste, -put this plaster on every 

 day for a few days. When the horse is getting better and his 

 back very sore where you blistered him, oil his back with sweet 

 oil, lard or goose oil. Feed the animal on soft food with plenty of 

 boiled flaxseed in it to keep his bowels loose. If the animal gets 

 down always assist him in getting up, for when once he gets off 

 of his feet entirely there is very little hopes of recovery. 



PARALYSIS. 



Paralysis may be in the complete or partial form. Complete 

 paralysis is when there is loss of motion and feeling all over the 

 body, and in cases of this kind death soon comes on. Partial 

 paralysis is where there will be one part of the body affected, such 

 as the hind quarters, or he may be paralyzed in one side. If the 

 spine is affected all of the parts behind the affected part will be 

 paralyzed. 



Causes. — From an injury to the brain or from tumors grow- 

 ing around the brain or spinal cord. Nervous excitement and 

 intoxicating liquors cause this disease in man. In stallions it 

 is caused by being put to too many mares, or from a horse get- 

 ting cast ip the stall and hurting his back ; throwing an animal 

 for an operation may hurt him ; in hunting horses, or other horses, 

 it may be caused from slipping and straining the muscles under 

 the spine, or from a fracture of the spinal bone. Sometimes, 



