DISEASES OF HORSES 401 



Pathology. The inflammation may involve nearly the whole 

 length of the cord, but generally it is more intense in some places 

 than others; when due to mechanical injury, the inflammation may 

 remain confined to a small section. The cord is swollen and con- 

 gested, reddened, often softened and infiltrated with pus cells, and 

 the nerve elements are degenerated. Treatment is similar to that 

 of spinal meningitis. 



SPINAL CONGESTION. 



This condition consists in an excess of blood. As the blood ves- 

 sels of the pia mater are the principal source of supply to the spinal 

 cord, peremia of the cord and of the meninges usually go together. 

 The symptoms are, therefore, closely allied to those of spinal menin- 

 gitis and congestion. When the pia mater is diseased, the spinal 

 cord is almost invariably affected also. Sudden checking of the per- 

 spiration, violent exercise, blows, and falls are the causes. 



Symptoms. The symptoms may vary somewhat with each 

 case, and closely resemble the first symptoms of spinal meningitis, 

 spinal tumors, and myelitis. First, some disturbance in movement, 

 lowering of temperature, and partial loss of sensibility posterior to 

 the seat of the congestion. If in the cervical region, it may cause 

 interference in breathing and the action of the heart. When in the 

 region of the loins, there may be loss of control of the bladder. 

 When the congestion is sufficient to produce compression of the cord, 

 paraplegia may be complete. Usually fever, spasms, muscular twitch- 

 ing, or muscular rigidity are absent, which will serve to distinguish 

 spinal congestion from spinal meningitis. 



Treatment. Hot-water applications to the spine, 1-dram doses 

 fluid extract of belladonna repeated every four hours, and tincture 

 of aconite root 20 drops every hour until the symptoms become 

 ameliorated. If no inflammatory products occur, the animal is 

 likely to recover. 



SPINAL ANEMIA. 



This may be caused by extreme cold, exhausting diseases, spinal 

 embolism or plugging of a spinal blood vessel, an interference with 

 the circulation through the abdominal aorta, from compression, 

 thrombosis, or aneurism of that vessel; the spinal vessels may be 

 caused to contract through vaso-motor influence, a result of periph- 

 eral irritation of some nerve. Spinal anemia causes paralysis of the 

 muscles used in extending the limbs. When the bladder is affected, 

 it precedes the weakness of motion, while in spinal congestion it fol- 

 lows, and increased sensibility, in place of diminished sensibility, 

 as in spinal congestion, is observed. Pressure along the spine causes 

 excessive pain. If the exciting cause can be removed, the animal re- 

 covers ; if this fails, the spinal cord may undergo softening. 



SPINAL COMPRESSION. 



When caused by tumors or otherwise, when pressure is slight, it 

 produces a paralysis of the muscles used in extending a limb and 

 contraction of those which flex it. When compression is great it 

 causes complete loss of sensibility and motion posterior to the com- 

 pressed part of the cord. Compression of a lateral half of the cord 



