52 TREATMENT OF DISEASES 



does really belong to the same class and order. Tetanus is charac- 

 terized, however, by the same rigidity of various muscles of the 

 body, yet at the same time the jaws are not lock^^d, the animal has 

 not lost, entirely, the power of swallowing, can drink and eat a little 

 and take medicine; whereas, in complete locked jaw, the spasm ex- 

 tends to the muscles of the pharynx, rendering it impossible, while 

 the spasm lasts, for the patient to swallow. 



Tetanus is supposed to depend on irritation, directly or indirectly, 

 of the excito-motor system (true spinal cord.) If this be true, and I 

 have no reason to doubt it, then all surgical operations, in view of 

 removing the cause, are not only useless, but injurious, for the mal- 

 ady has migrated beyond the reach of the surgeon's knife. I now 

 introduce a brief report of the " cases." 



Case 1. March 1, 1862, I was requested to visit a bay gelding, 

 aged eight years, the property of Captain Silva. The messenger 

 informed me that the animal was " all stiffened up." On arrival I 

 noticed the following spraptoms : On applying my hand over the 

 region of the neck, the muscles felt hard and rigid ; the eyes had a 

 sort of squinting appearance ; the nose protruded ; the ears were 

 erect and stationary ; the nostrils were expanded to their utmost 

 capacity; the head, neck and trunk appeared quite rigid, so that it 

 was impossible to coax or compel the animal to turn " short round," 

 — in other words, describe a circle ; the abdomen appeared "tucked 

 up," in consequence of a rigid condition of its walls ; the hind limbs 

 were straddling, and the fore ones occupied a forward position, an- 

 terior to the axis of the shoulder-blade ; the bowels were constipated ; 

 the pulse wiry, and the respirations accelerated and laborious. 

 These symptoms constitute the key-note of the malady. I might, if 

 I felt disposed, entertain the reader with an elaborate article on the 

 regular veterinary craftsman's theory of the progressive symptoms ; 

 but the intelligent reader will infer that as the disease progresses, 

 the symptoms multiply and vary, therefore it is not good policy for 

 me to introduce secondary symptoms, for they only tend to obscure 

 the real nature of the disease. 



Treatment, — I rubbed the neck and back with a portion of the 

 following: 



Cod Liver Oil 1 pint. 



Oil of Cedar 4 ounces. 



Sulphuric Ether 3 " 



The parts were rubbed once daily for a period of ten days. Dur- 

 ing this time the animal got four drachms, night and morning, of 

 the Fluid Extract of Indian Hemp ( Cannabis Indicxcs). The horse 

 was located on the Bellefontain road, ten miles from the city, conse- 

 quently I did not see him as often as I wished; but a faithful servant 

 had charge of the horse, and I think he paid proper attention to my 

 directions. 



At the end of three weeks all symptoms of Tetanus had entirely 

 disappeared. The disease was occasioned by a punctured wound in 

 the near fore foot. 



June 0, 1862. Capt. S. this day brought my patient to. the city 

 for treatment for atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder (commonly 

 known as sweeney.) The muscles of the shoulder-blade, known as 



