LARYNGISMUS PARALYTICA. 



being made of the character of the cough ; after which the 

 animal is to be placed by a wall, his head firmly held hy the 

 attendant. The examiner now makes a feint, as though 

 going to strike the animal, which latter naturally starts for- 

 ward very suddenl}^, and, if affected, will usually take a deep 

 inspiration, and emit the grunt peculiar to roarers. But 

 such a test cannot be regarded as an entirely satisfactory 

 one. A case may occasionally be met with wherein the 

 animal whistles slightly, the sound being due to a slightly 

 thickened condition of the mucous membrane of the larynx, 

 caused by an attack of laryngitis a month or so previously. 

 This sound is evidence of unsoundness at the time it is pre- 

 sent, but the animal may entirely recover in course of time ; 

 but in cases where the anatomical conformation of neck 

 mentioned above is present, it is safe to say that the whistler 

 will finally become a roarer. Laryngismus paralytica, 

 giving rise to roaring well marked, is incurable. 



Treatment. — Careful attention should be paid to the diet. 

 The food should be of the best, and given in moderate 

 quantities. Moderate exercise is beneficial. Counter-irri- 

 tation, as a pretty strong vesicant to the throat, may be 

 followed by a remission of the symptoms. Potassium iodide 

 in doses of one drachm twice a day will sometimes effect a 

 cure in recent cases, if slight. Another mode of treatment 

 highly thought of and especially recommended by Mr. 

 George Fleming, is the use of the galvanic battery, perse- 

 vered in day after day until some improvement is perceived 

 or the case is decided to be hopeless. At the same time 

 nerve stimulants m.ay be given internally, as in many cases 

 the trouble is undoubtedly due to lack of proper nervous 

 influence. Where such is suspected to be the case, nux 

 vomica in drachm doses, or the alkaloid strychnia in doses 

 of two grains, may be given a couple of times daily. A 

 peculiarity of this disease is that it is nearly always the 



