Chorea Electrica Congenita. Chorea in New-born Animals. 793 



chorea. In a great many of the remaining recorded cases in cattle, ex- 

 ceptionally also in horses and swine, the character of the twitchings was 

 not that of chorea and they will therefore not be considered further. 



Only in a very small number of the cases formerly described as 

 chorea were the twitchings similar to those of true chorea ; still the ner- 

 vous system was not examined properly, so that its organic disease or 

 that of such another organ is, even in these cases, not completely elimi- 

 nated as the basis of spasms similar to those of St. Vitus 's dance. (Dex- 

 ler, D. t. W., 1909, 814 [Lit.].— Joest, Z. f. Tm., 1904, VIII, 179 [Lit.].— 

 Poenaru, Bull, 1908, 671.) 



Chorea Electrica Congenita. Besnoit observed a peculiar congenital 

 neurosis in a lamb which descended from a flock affected mth trembles. 



Strong and quite rhythmical twitchings in the muscles of the 

 head, neck, body and extremities occurred five or six times in a sec- 

 ond. In conseciuence the head was moved like a pendulum or from side 

 to side, at times there was grinding of the teeth, whilst the tail executed 

 slight trembling movements. The extremities were abducted and 

 then adducted, then flexed and again extended, as a result standing up 

 was mostly impossible, and the animal appeared to be paralyzed. Dur- 

 ing the movements the tmtchings increased in intensity. On passive 

 pressure of the head to the chest wall the spasms disappeared. When 

 lying half on one side the head performed scarcely perceptible quivering 

 movements, whilst during sleep all spasms disappeared. External and 

 psychic irritation caused a considerable aggravation of the twitchings. 

 After 8 weeks the lamb recovered completely without having exhibited 

 other signs of illness in the interval. 



Besnoit identifies the affection with the chorea electrica (Bergeron) 

 in man, which occurs preferably in childhood. The trembles could in his 

 opinion have played only a predisposing role. (Besnoit, Rev. vet., 1906, 

 433). 



Chorea in New-born Animals. In young pigs peculiar tmtch- 

 ings limited to certain groups of muscles are not uncommon. These 

 spasms occur immediately or shortly after birth, and at times appear to 

 be of an hereditary nature. Thus Hess noticed the illness in the litters 

 of three sows that had been served by the same boar, whilst Scheller saw 

 all the young of one sow affected. On the other hand the role played 

 by external influences in causing the complaint cannot be disregarded, 

 for Kiihn saw an enzootic spread of the disease in which the pigs were 

 kept in cold pens and exposed to cold winds. Carbaret has described a 

 similar form of disease in a new-born foal. 



The symptoms consist in that the flexor muscles of the posterior 

 or of all extremities perform quick, powerful twitchings, about 100 to 

 140 in a minute, and in consequence the animal executes peculiar dancing 

 movements whereupon the head moves passively in conjunction with 

 these, or becomes likewise affected with spasms. 



In most cases recovery takes place at the age of 6 to 8 weeks. 



Literature. Cabaret. Eec, 1905, 719.— Hess, 8clnv. A., 1884, XXYl, 240.— 

 Kiihn, Pr. M., 1855, 56, 113.— Scheller, il>i(l., 185.3-54, 101. 



