318 MANUAL OF EQUINE MEDICINE. 



In some instances of post-mortem examination in the 

 horse, extensive disease of the membranes has been ob- 

 served ; but in many cases no abnormal lesions whatever 

 were discoverable. 



Symptoms. — In the human being an epileptic attack is 

 not unfrequently preceded by what is termed the ' aura,' 

 which is a subjective sensation of coldness, heat, tingling, 

 etc. This, though of course not detectible in the horse, 

 may likewise precede the epileptic seizure. 



The horse, when attacked, staggers, champs his jaws, 

 becomes unconscious, and falls to the ground convulsed. 



Sometimes the spasms are very slight, and the animal 

 quickly regains consciousness and seems as well as ever. 



Sometimes the spasms are confined to one limb, some- 

 times to one side of the body, or to the muscles of a parti- 

 cular region, as the facial and cervical region. 



In some instances the convulsions are very severe, and the 

 breathing seems to be stayed for a time by the tense con- 

 traction of the respiratory muscles. 



The animal froths at the mouth, grates its teeth, moves 

 its head quickly to and fro, and tosses about wildly. 



Opisthotonos, or bending of the trunk backwards, is 

 sometimes produced by spasmodic contraction of the 

 muscles. 



The pulse is generally full and accelerated, though it may 

 be weak and not much above the normal in frequency. 



After a while, when the tonic spasms, succeeded by the 

 clonic spasms, have abated, the animal regains conscious- 

 ness. 



Sometimes he remains dazed, as it were, semi-comatose ; 

 at other times he may manifest great weakness. 



Treatment. — During the paroxysm cold water may be 

 dashed upon the head, and all means should be adopted to 

 prevent the horse harming himself in his convulsions. 



