604 Inflammation of the Pia Mater, 



seated inflammation in the neck sometimes causes spasms of the 

 muscles and other symptoms, but in such cases there are no 

 disturbances of consciousness, such as are seen in cases of men- 

 ingitis. 



Accurate differentiation between serous and purulent men- 

 ingitis is only possible if the circumstances suggest that the in- 

 fection is of a purulent nature. In cases of suppuration the. 

 symptoms are generally very severe and death takes place in a 

 very short time. Tuberculous meningitis may be diagnosed 

 Avitii certainty if tubercles can be discovered on the iris or in the 

 posterior portions of the eye. In cattle the presence of tuber- 

 culous meningitis is very probable when there are disturl)ances 

 of function of the nerves leaving the base of the brain, or synip- 

 toms of a slowly progressive meningitis appear in an otherwise 

 tuberculous animal. 



Prognosis. Meningitis is a dangerous disease in that re- 

 covery rarely occurs save in the case of puerperal meningitis in 

 the cow, in which instance a cure may often be effected, pro- 

 vided treatment be commenced in time. The longer treatment 

 is delayed the more unfavorable the prognosis, and should 

 symptoms persist for more than five days recovery is scarcely 

 to be expected. About 75 per cent of cases terminate fatally 

 and in the others, although acute symptoms disappear, some 

 secondary disease almost always remains which greatly de- 

 creases tiie value of the animal. In the horse dropsy of the ven- 

 tricles is possil)ly the commonest sequel. It may appear imme- 

 diately after the disappearance of the acute symptoms, or its 

 appearance may l)e delayed for wrecks or even months. It some- 

 times occurs after repeated acute relapses. Among the sequelae 

 may be mentioned : amaurosis, deafness, staggers resulting from 

 atrophy of the cortex, paralysis of individual muscles or groups 

 of muscles. 



In animals that recover there is a tendency to relapses. 



Treatment. The first thing to do is to get the animal into 

 a dark, quiet place where it can move (restraint only excites it), 

 and where it cannot injure itself should it have an attack of de- 

 lirium. In fine weather animals may be placed in the open in 

 enclosures. Injuries to the head may be avoided by applying 

 bandages. The straw should be short so that the animal may 

 not get entangled in it. Dogs must be confined in roomy 

 kennels so that they cannot bite people or other animals. 



Herbivora should be given good hay and roots and fresh 

 green food as far as possible, with occasional bran mashes or 

 gruel. Carnivora should have milk, soup, and boiled salt meat 

 finely minced. Brandy and wine are useful in small animals. 

 If tlie animals do not take food of their own accord they must 

 be fed (see page 123), provided that it does not excite them. 

 Animals will sometimes take sufficient food if it be placed in 



