24 LIST OP SPECIFICS AND REMEDIES. 



TETANUS, OR LOCK JAW. 



This disease is more common in the horse 

 than in other domestic animals. It consists of a 

 muscular spasm of the jaw, (whence its name) 

 which usually extends to all the muscles of the 

 body. It most frequently occurs in consequence 

 of an injury or wound, such as broken knees, open 

 joints, severe bruises, nicked or docked tail, castra- 

 tion, wounds of the feet, prick of a nail, or even 

 the galling of a crupper. It is also caused by 

 cold or damp, sudden arrest of strangles, worms, 

 or a bad condition of the stomach. 



SYMPTOMS. In general it conies on very slowly, 

 but also, in some cases, with great violence. The 

 muscles of the neck and jaw are first affected, so 

 that the horse has great difficulty in swallowing, 

 and in turning his neck. The muscles then become 

 quite stiff ; the mouth is nearly closed; the jaws 

 cannot be parted, and little or no food can be taken 

 into the mouth. By degrees, all the muscles be- 

 come affected with the same stiffness and cramp ; 

 the eyes are still and staring, pulled back in their 

 sockets, and squinted outward, and the haw is 

 thrust forward ; the neck cannot be bent, and the 

 muscles feel hard and firm ; the head cannot be 

 raised or lowered, and is held forward with the 

 nose stretched out ; the nostrils are expanded ; the 

 ears pointed forward, erect and fixed ; the lips are 

 firmly stretched across the teeth, which are partly 

 seen ; the saliva flows fnom the mouth ; the horse 

 looks anxious and can scarcely move ; the belly is 

 hard and tucked up ; the tail is lifted up and held 

 straight out, and is in a constant tremble ; the legs 

 are firmly fixed to the ground, and spread out 

 from each other ; the bowels are bound, and urine 



