l3(>4 PARALYSIS OF THE TONGUE. 



severe infections, like contagious pleuro-pneumonia of the hoist' 

 (see Cadiot and Dollar's " Clinical Vet. Med. and Surgery "). In 

 central paralysis both nerves usually suffer, and, of course, both 

 sides of the tongue, for the two hypoglossal nerves arise very close 

 together. In the horse paralysis of the tongue sometimes accom- 

 panies acute meningitis, or cranial dropsy. But every case of double- 

 sided paralysis is not necessarily central. Diplegia occurs in horses 

 whose tongues have been roughly handled, and where both nerves 

 have been injured. In dogs double-sided paralysis is regularly 

 observed during rabies, but it also appears without any preceding 

 illness, and is sometimes accompanied by masticatory facial paralysis. 

 Here the cause is probably central. A somewhat similar paralysis 

 of the tongue in a dog, accompanied by rather extensive disease of 

 the brain, is thus described by Frick : 



The dog, which Avas about five to six years old, usually stood with its 

 back arched, and with the limbs drawn under the body ; there was general 

 quivering of the entire surface. The eyes were cloudy and watery ; tears 

 ran over the cheeks and fluid from the nostrils. Long threads of tenacious 

 saliva hung from the mouth. There was a weak, rather frequent, cough. 

 The rectal temperature was 103*2° F. Examination of the cavity of the 

 mouth showed that about 1 to 1£ inches of the free end of the tongue was 

 relaxed and incapable of voluntary movement. When the affected part 

 was thrust backwards the animal could not return it to its normal position . 

 The soft palate hung flaccid and was not under control. Food was fairly 

 well taken and swallowed. The animal eagerly took water, which, how- 

 ever, at once ran out of its mouth. To overcome" this difficulty a 

 rubber tube was passed into the oesophagus, and water administered by 

 pouring it into a funnel attached to the free uplifted end. After a short 

 time, however, the water was returned, part being lost through the mouth 

 and part passing down the trachea, causing the animal to cough. 



Diagnosis. Paralysis of the soft palate, point of the tongue, pharynx 

 and oesophagus. 



The clog was removed by the owner without undergoing treatment. 



Jurgens thinks that numbers of the observations published in 

 veterinary literature as glossoplegia really relate to inflammatory 

 affections, but paralysis of the tongue may certainly result from 

 acute inflammation of that organ. 



The symptoms of one-sided paralysis are displacement of the 

 tongue and difficulty in mastication and deglutition. In double- 

 sided paralysis both acts become nearly impossible, particularly the 

 latter. The tongue generally hangs from the mouth. In protracted 

 cases the muscles atrophy, though, of course, in single-sided paralysis 

 only those of the paralysed side suffer. 



The disease must not be confounded with the so-called " pro- 

 trusion," where the tongue is voluntarily lolled out of the mouth. 



