DISTORTION OF THE NECK. 393 



been merely fractures. This is true of a case described by Vives. 

 A mule, which shortly before had been galloping about, was 

 observed standing immovable, with head lowered, and turned to 

 the left. Attempts to lift the head produced much pain, the neck 

 was swollen, and the occipital region distorted. The right wing of 

 the atlas extended further forward than usual ; the left could 

 not be felt. Next day severe swelling of the head had set in. 

 On the thirty-fifth day the condition remained essentially the 

 same. Tuberculosis in equines is often associated with muscular 

 atrophy and unilateral prominence over two or three cervical 

 vertebras. 



HI.— DISTORTION OF THE NECK (TORTICOLLIS). 



The collective term torticollis has been used in human medicine 

 since olden times to describe many different conditions, which, 

 on careful examination, have nothing in common with that now 

 under consideration. In animals, distortion of the neck sometimes 

 occurs, but the precise anatomical changes on which the abnormality 

 depends have not been recognised. On this account, while adopting 

 the above designation, we shall endeavour to point out the nature 

 of the more frequent of these distortions. 



(1) Cramp or contraction of the muscles of the neck occurs both 

 in men and animals. In men the most frequently affected muscle 

 is the sterno-cleido-mastoideus ; its shortening is often congenital, 

 or develops through cicatrisation after birth. Such conditions have 

 not been observed in animals. But Uebele records that an eight days 

 foal showed at short intervals attacks of cramp in the left cervical 

 muscles, drawing the head to the left ; when not supported, it fell ; 

 the condition disappeared in fourteen days. Moller has repeatedly 

 seen temporary displacement of the head and neck in horses, con- 

 sequent on rheumatic affection of the above-named and other 

 muscles. These abnormalities were accompanied by lameness, 

 most marked when the limb was being lifted. In dogs similar 

 rheumatic contractions in the muscles of the neck also occur, usually 

 on both sides. They can be recognised by local pain and swelling, 

 and may exist only for a few hours. 



(2) Paralysis of the muscles of the neck. Whilst the diseased 

 conditions causing the above-named distortions are to be sought 

 on the concave side of the curvature of the neck, the cause of paralytic 

 torticollis exists on the convex side, as may be seen in dogs and 

 rabbits during the course of diseases of the middle ear. In the 



