84 FITS PALSY. 



another case it followed sudden suppression of the discharge of 

 glanders and disappearance of the enlarged glands. This also 

 was intermittent during the life of the animal. 



FITS, OR EPILEPSY. 



The stream of nervous influence is sometimes rapid, or the 

 suspensions are considerable. This is the theory of Fits, or Ep- 

 ilepsy. Fortunately the horse is not often afflicted with this 

 disease, although it is not unknown to the breeder. The attack 

 -S not sudden. The animal stops — trembles — looks vacantly 

 around him, and falls. Occasionally the convulsions that follow 

 are slight ; at other times they are terrible. The head and fore- 

 part of the horse are most affected, and the contortions are very 

 singular. In a few minutes the convul^ons cease ; he gets up ; 

 looks around him with a kind of stuj)id astonishment ; shakes his 

 ears ; urines ; and eats or drinks as if nothing had happened. 



The only hope of cure consists in discovering the cause of the 

 fits ; and an experienced practitioner must be consulted, if the 

 animal is valuable. G-enerally speaking, however, the cause 

 is so difficult to discover, and the habit of having fits is so soon 

 formed, and these fits will so frequently return, even at a great 

 distance of time, that he who values his own safety, or the lives 

 of his family, will cease to use an epileptic horse. 



PALSY. 



The stream, of nervous influence is sometimes stopped, and 

 thence results palsy. The power of the muscle is unimpaired, 

 but the nervous energy is deficient. In the horse, palsy is usually 

 general, and not confined to one side as commonly happens in 

 the human subject. It generally attacks the hind extremities. 

 The loins and the back oftenest exhibit the eflects of palsy, be- 

 cause there are some of the most violent muscular efforts, and 

 there is the greatest movement and the least support. It may 

 consequently be taken as an axiom to guide the judgment of the 

 piactitioner that palsy in the horse almost invariably proceeds 

 from disease or injury of the spine. 



On inquiry it is almost invariably found that the horse had 

 lately fallen, or had been worked exceedingly hard, or that 

 covered with perspiration, he had been left exposed to cold ami} 

 wet. It commences generally in one hind-leg, or perhaps both 

 are equally affected. The animal can scarcely walk — ^lie walks 

 on his fetlocks instead of his soles — he staggers at every motion. 

 At length he falls. He is raised with difflculty, or he never 

 rises again. The sensibilitj of the part seems for a while to be 



