326 MANUAL OF EQUINE MEDICINE. 



In some very severe cases the breath becomes foetid be- 

 fore death, and if the mouth be examined, a quantity of 

 slate-coloured epithelium is found on the inner surfaces of 

 the lips, gums, and tongue (Williams). 



Morbid Anatomy. — In some instances the spinal cord is 

 found to be congested in varying extent and position, and 

 microscopic examination in some instances reveals patho- 

 logical lesions, which, though perhaps not characteristic, are 

 nevertheless very marked. 



The right side of the heart is sometimes found engorged 

 with blood, and the lungs and other organs sometimes con- 

 gested. 



In some instances, one or more of the muscles may be 

 found ruptured from the violence of the muscular spasm. 



Microscopic Appearances of the Nerve-structure. — The 

 perineurium around the nerves proceeding from the seat of 

 injury is sometimes thickened. In a case in which after 

 death a piece of straw was found imbedded in the meta- 

 tarsal nerve, the latter was found highly congested by Mr. 

 D. Gresswell for some distance from the actual seat of injury. 



In the epineurium surrounding the nerve-bundles no 

 special change was noted, but each bundle contained an 

 amount of granular material which stained deeply, and was 

 very probably the result of inflammatory action. 



The ultimate nerve-fibrils were altered, and the medullary 

 sheaths of Schwann were shrunken, while the axis cylinders 

 appeared as though split into several segments. 



In no instance have we been able to detect any special 

 change in the sympathetic nerves or ganglia. 



Sometimes the spinal cord is much altered in certain 

 parts. In one instance, following on very severe injury of 



upwards of four months, and after that time gradually relaxed. During 

 the latter three months the animal was perfectly well in every other 

 respect. 



