396 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



ing up of the affected leg is very violent, and when it is lowered to 

 the ground the motion is equally sudden and forcible, striking the 

 foot to the ground like a pile driver. Very rarely chorea may be 

 found to affect one of the fore legs, or the muscles of one side of the 

 neck or the upper part of the neck. Involuntary jerking of the 

 muscles of the hip or thigh is seen occasionally, and is termed "shiv- 

 ering" by horsemen. 



Chorea is often associated with a nervous disposition, and is 

 not so frequent in animals with a sluggish temperament. The in- 

 voluntary muscular contractions cause no pain, and do not appear 

 to produce much exhaustion of the affected muscles, although the 

 jerking may be regular and persistent whenever the animal is in 

 motion. In a few cases, early in the appearance of this affection, 

 general nerve tonics may be of benefit, viz., iodide of iron, 1 dram ; 

 pulverized nux vomica, 1 dram; pulverized scutellaria, 1 ounce. 

 Mix and give in the feed once a day for two weeks. Arsenic in the 

 form of Fowler's solution is often beneficial. If the cause is con- 

 nected with organic brain lesions, treatment is usually unsuccessful. 



EPILEPSY, OR PALLING FITS. 



The cause of epilepsy is seldom traceable to any special brain 

 lesions. In a few cases it accompanies disease of the pituitary body, 

 which is located in the under surface of the brain. Softening of the 

 brain may give rise to this affection. Attacks may occur only once 

 or twice a year or they may be of frequent recurrence. No premoni- 

 tory symptoms precede an epileptic fit. The animal suddenly stag- 

 gers; the muscles become cramped; the jaws may be spasmodically 

 opened and closed, and the tongue become lacerated between the 

 teeth ; he foams at the mouth and falls down in a spasm. The urine 

 flows away involuntarily, and the breathing may be temporarily ar- 

 rested. The paroxysm soon passes off, and the animal gets on his 

 feet in a few minutes after the return of consciousness. The treat- 

 ment is dashing cold water on the head during the paroxysm. After 

 the recovery, 1 dram of oxide of zinc may be given in his feed twice 

 a day for several weeks, or benefit may be derived from the tonic 

 prescribed for chorea. 



PARALYSIS, OR PALSY. 



Paralysis is a weakness or cessation of the muscular contraction, 

 by diminution of loss of the conducting power or stimulation of the 

 motor nerves. Paralytic affections are of two kinds, the complete 

 and the incomplete. The former includes those in which both mo- 

 tion and sensibility are affected; the latter those in which only one 

 or the other is lost or diminished. Paralysis may be general or par- 

 tial. The latter is divided into hemiplegia and paraplegia. When 

 only a small portion of the body is affected, as the face, a limb, the 

 tail, it is designated by the term local paralysis. When the irrita- 

 tion extends from the periphery of the center it is termed reflex 

 paralysis. 



Causes. They are very varied. Most of the acute affections of 

 the brain and spinal cord may lead to paralysis. Injuries, tumors, 

 disease of the blood vessels of the brain, etc., all have a tendency to 



