766 Epilepsy. 



ivpcated at intervals and always during walking or wlien partaking of 

 food. Hitherto such attacks oidy came under notice in winter and in 

 such cats as persistently stayed in a warm place, for instance near an 

 oven. Gerlier assumes an infection. The ilhiess lasted only a few weeks 

 and then ceased entirely. (Gerlier J. vet., 1891, 507.) 



2. Epilepsy. Epilepsia. 



{FalViug Siclxurss; Morbus cad}(C}(S, MoiIjus saccr.) 



Epilepsy is a clironic illness occiirrins' periodically niaiii- 

 festiii.^' itself by severe (leraiigemeiit of consciousness accom- 

 panied by tonic-clonic spasms. 



From true epilepsy (epilepsia vera s. idiopathica s. genuina), which 

 is characterized by the chronic course and its hereditary transmission, one 

 should separate epileptiform spasms (epileptoid conditions) [Weygandt, 

 Dexler, Sarbo]). These occur from time to time in certain organic 

 diseases of the brain, further as a reflex effect in painful affections of 

 other organs or of the peripheral nerves and are generally kno\ni as 

 symptomatic epilepsy (epilepsia symptomatica s. secundaria) or as reflex 

 epilepsy. Since however little consideration has been given to this dis- 

 tinction in animals a separation of the two forms has not been accom- 

 plished in practice, and therefore the last mentioned cases have been 

 considered here. 



Occurrence. In the domestic animals true epilepsy prob- 

 ably occurs only very seldom (Lafosse noticed 4 cases in 130,000 

 horses examined, and Dexler none in 25,000). No great reliance 

 can be placed on the records of older authors in which true epi- 

 lepsy often figiires, because they did not distingTiish the reflex 

 epilepsy which more frequently comes under notice in the do- 

 mestic animals. Secondary or reflex epilepsy is most frequently 

 met with in clogs, less often in cattle and swine and only excep- 

 tionally in the horse, it is not uncommon in parrots, canaries and 

 turkeys. 



Lafosse found 22 epileptic subject^ ..i..oiig 130,001) liorses, 7 anionic IG.oiui 

 cattle, a7i<l 225 auioTig 25,000 doss. 



Etiology. True epilepsy is due either to an increased irri- 

 tability of the cortex of the brain or of the subcortical centers, 

 or to an abnonnal disturbance in these parts of the brain due to 

 arising abnormal irritability caused by disturbances of metab- 

 olism that are not yet properly understood. If the attack orig- 

 inates from the cranial cortex a well marked succession of mus- 

 cular spasms occur, whilst the primary disturbance of the sub- 

 cortical centers results in an attack wliich begins immediately 

 with general convulsions and irregular individual twitchings. 

 Since in the domestic animals the pyramidal tracts are not well 

 developed and, with the exception of the carnivora, have no 



