DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 49 



from more nervous excitability, due to what they are used to, and it 

 may be produced by poison being absorbed into the system. 



Symptoms are not very well marked, and vary according to the 

 severity of the attack ; may not be very alarming at lirst, but increases 

 in severity, and you will find intense fever ; the animal suffers to a 

 great extent, staggers in walking— may fall and have great difficulty 

 in getting up ; battering of the fetlocks, etc. I saw one case of frac- 

 ture of the fetlock in trying to get up. There are such symptoms in 

 azotaria, and I think I knew one case destroyed for spinitis that was 

 only suffering from azoturia. It is different in stallions ; quick pulse, 

 impairei appetite ; in backing, or in bringing the limbs back, there is 

 a peculiar jerking of the tail ; after which paralysis sets in. It is 

 rare that the entire horse becomes paralyzed at once, but they often 

 become irritable for some time, after which paralysis sets in. 



Treatment.— It you suspect congestion of the spine, give a purgative 

 and injections. Try ergot of rye, and if there is great difficulty in 

 rising, try slings. Afterward you may use nerve stimulants, but do 

 not use them in acute congestion of the blood vessels, but use such 

 remedies as will counteract the supply of blood. The result of this is 



Paralysis, either partial or complete; loss of sensibility or motion. 

 It may be divided into two classes — perfect and imperfect. Perfect is 

 where there is both loss of motion and sensibility ; imperfect is loss of 

 either without the loss of the other. We may further divide it into 

 partial and complete. If the attack is complete, death soon results. 

 If it attacks one half of the body longitudinally, it is called hemi- 

 plegia ; this is common in the human being. If it affects the hind 

 quarters, it is paraplegia. Reflex paralysis is due to something acting 

 upon and affecting the nervous system, as colic and such affections. 

 If the spine is affected, all the parts are affected behind the seat of the 

 injury. If injured in the cervical region, death is almost instan- 

 taneous from paralysis of respiration. 



Hemiplegia generally results from injury to the brain, and is 

 occasionally due to sun-stroke, tumours, etc. ; and there are other 

 conditions that may produce it, but these are the most likely to pro- 

 duce it Nervous excitement and the use of intoxicating liquors produce 

 it in man, concussions of the brain, etc. The animal cannot walk 

 straight, goes in a circle ; the muscles waste to some extent ; you 

 may relieve the symptoms. Use anything that would relieve con- 

 gestion ; afterwards use nervous stimulants. It is very slow getting 

 well. There is not much success treating paralysis of the posterior 

 extremities. Jt may be produced in many ways in the entire horse : 

 from spinal irritation ; too much covering, which sets up inflamma- 

 tion of the spine Another cause is injury, as the horse is being cast 

 in the stall, or thrown for operation (and it would be well to explain 

 to the owner that there is some danger in throwing a horse); or it 

 may be due to a severe strain, such as hunting horses are subject to, 

 or from slipping, or fracture of the spine, etc., and it may come from 

 such injury where there is no misplacement. 



Symptoms.— '^Ho.xiy very plain cases have occurred by irritation of 

 the spine, as falling into a ditch, etc., causing more or less loss of 

 power. If the animal lies down he has great difficulty in getting up, 

 generally, but may get up easily. In perfect paralysis the symptoms 

 are very plain ; if the animal is down he tries to get up upon the fore 

 feet, but there is no action in the hind limbs ; may show signs of 

 severe pain. If you draw the hind leg forward, the animal offers no 

 resistance. The pulse runs up pretty quick. But these symptoms 

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