644 Chronic Dropsy of the Ventricles. 



fused with meningitis if the cranium becomes painful on pres- 

 sure owing to simultaneous inflammation of the membranes, 

 and certain symptoms which contraindicate meningitis (hem- 

 iplegia, rolling, cerebellar ataxia) are not present. It is im- 

 possil)le to exchide basilar meningitis with symptoms of a more 

 general nature, or meningitis involving the neighborhood of the 

 ventricles (meningitis interna). Hemorrhage or embolism are 

 indicated by the sudden onset of severe symptoms. Such cases 

 may be excluded by careful investigation of the history of the 

 case, the condition of the other organs, and the temperature. 

 The disease is distinguished from chronic dropsy of the ven- 

 tricles by the fact that severe cerebral symptoms develop with 

 comparative rapidity, and by the presence of local symptoms. 

 Sometimes it is necessary to distinguish the disease from acute 

 uremia. 



Treatment. Directions given in connection with meningitis 

 (see page 604) are applicable, but, as a rule, treatment is with- 

 out avail. 



Literature. Dexler, Ergebn. d. Path., 1896, III, 2, Abt., 508 (Lit.) ; 1900, 

 VII, 483 (Lit.) ; Nervenkrkh. d. Pferdes, 1899, 103 (Lit.) ; Monatsehr. f. Psych, 

 u. Neurol., 1903, 97 (Lit.); 1904, 99 (Lit.).— Frohiier, Monh., 1908, XIX, 133.— 

 Lesbre & Forgeot, J. Vet., 1902, 1.57.— Lienaiix, Ann., 1900, 487.— Marchand, Bas- 

 set & Pecard, Eec, 1906, 813.— Marchand, Petit & Coquot, ibid., 1905, 419.— 

 Marchand, Petit & Pecard, ibid., 1907, 357. 



Chronic Encephalitis. Very few references are to be found in lit- 

 erature to the occurrence of lesions apart from chronic meningitis. 

 These take the form of white or grayish translucent firm nodules in the 

 l)rain which, to all appearances, have been caused by an acute encepha- 

 litis. Buckley and MacCallum found sclerotic nodules in the brain of 

 a horse that had recovered from a hemorrhagic intlammation of the 

 brain, and had afterwards shown symptoms of staggers. Lellmann 

 concludes from some observations made by himself that multiple scle- 

 rosis of the brain occurs as frequently in animals as in man. but it is 

 only an assumption without any anatomical proof. Finally in a dog 

 that had recovered from distemper, Meissner found a bladder-like 

 swelling and thinning of the dura mater over the right hemisphere in 

 the region of the parietal bone, a flattening of the convolutions, and on 

 the mesial surface of the hemisphere, a cavity extending to the ven- 

 tricle (porencephalia). During life there was a certain amount of 

 awkwardness, lack of intelligence, bilateral amaurosis and occasional 

 attacks of cramp and movement to the left. 



11. Chronic Dropsy of the Ventricles. Hydrocephalus inter- 

 nus chronicus. 



{Chronic Hydroccpliahis; DiintJmess.) 



By this term is indicated a chronic disease of the brain 

 characterized by the presence of abnormally large quantities of 

 cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain with consequent 



