654 Chronic Dropsy of the Ventricles. 



breed, condition and the evidence of wear and tear of the animal 

 mnst be taken into consideration. It appears to be most useful 

 to have the animal put to do some fatigaiing work, because the 

 somewhat indefinite sj^uptoms, as a rule, tend to become accen- 

 tuated shortly after and also because fresh ones may make their 

 appearance. The animal should be watched the whole time 

 that it is at work, special notice being taken as to whether it 

 responds to instructions. After being allowed to stand in for 

 a time a fresh searching- examination should be made. 



Points that are of special importance are : unnatural posi- 

 tion of the feet, supporting the head on the manger, leaning up 

 against the wall, the periods of rest during feeding. Abnor- 

 malities of sensibility have a very limited importance because 

 they are very variable from animal to animal. Above all, a 

 diagnosis should never be based upon the presence of individ- 

 ual symptoms; several s^anptoms must be present before a 

 diagnosis can be made. Further, it must be remembered that 

 the sum total of the sjauptoms described is not absolutely path- 

 ognomic of the disease, but they may be met with in other dis- 

 eases in which there is great dullness. 



In examinations carried out on 372 sound army horses Droge showed that 

 quite sound horses will keep their legs crossed, but especially when fatigued or 

 during very hot weather. A positive result was obtained by Droge in llSc of 

 animals in winter and 30% in summer. 



All acute, and particularly febrile, diseases must be ex- 

 cluded, although these are frequently associated with depres- 

 sion of the functions of the brain. The elevation of the internal 

 temperature and acceleration of the pulse, the presence of 

 s^anptoms of disease of some other organ and the history of 

 the case are, as a rule, sufficient to prevent one from making an 

 error. Inflammatory conditions of the bones of the face and 

 their sinuses are accompanied by great dullness in many cases, 

 but the local symptoms (discharge from the nose and pain) are 

 sufficient to explain this. The disease can still less be con- 

 founded with loss of liveliness during the changing of the teeth 

 or sexual excitement. The short duration of these conditions 

 is enough to differentiate them. Chronic diseases of the stom- 

 ach and liver which are now and then accompanied by depres- 

 sion are easily excluded on account of the systematic symp- 

 toms present. 



The acute attacks seen in hydrocephalus may be easily con- 

 fused with acute inflammation of the brain or its membranes. 

 In these cases symptoms of excitement alternate with sj^np- 

 toms of depression as in the acute seizures in dropsy of the 

 ventricles. Differential diagnosis must be based upon the his- 

 tory of tlie case and upon any local symptoms that may be pres- 

 ent. If the case is one of an acute seizure resulting from dropsy 

 of the ventricles, certain disturbances of function will have 

 been present before, while fever, paralysis of cranial nerves, 

 and particularly spasms of the neck muscles, indicate meningitis. 



