CEREBRAL APOPLEXY, 517 



instances the animal may still retain the power of muscular 

 movements ; but they are irregular, and intermixed with spas- 

 modic contractions. Whilst down, it fights convulsively, presses 

 the back of its head violently against the wall or other solid 

 body. Some degree of opisthotonos is present, the back is 

 arched downwards, and the hind legs extended backwards. The 

 eyes move about convulsively, or there may be persistent stra- 

 bismus of one or both of them ; the pupils may be dilated or 

 contracted, alternately contracted and dilated, or they may be 

 natural, or one may be contracted, and the other natural or even 

 dilated. The respiratory movements are sometimes spasmodic ; 

 now and then there may be a stertorous sound ; at other times 

 sighing, and sometimes expressions of great pain, as if the 

 animal had been sharply wounded with a cutting instrument. 



These symptoms may alternate with intervals of quietude, 

 when the animal will fall into the comatose condition. The 

 pulse may then fall below its natural standard, and the respira- 

 tory movements may become slower than natural, with heavy, 

 deep inspirations. The various secretions are, in all cases, 

 suspended, and the animal gradually sinks from increasing brain 

 pressure, or suddenly from renewed extravasation. 



The symptoms of apoplexy present some degree of variety in 

 their cliaracter, and in the course of experience one cannot but 

 remark that conditions which were laid down by our teachers as 

 being invariably present, are sometimes altogether absent, or are 

 present in a very modified degree. For example, it is generally 

 taught that when a patient is apoplectic and comatose, the 

 pupils are widely dilated, and the eyes amaurotic ; but this is 

 not always the case, neither is contraction of the pupils an 

 invariable sign of brain disease. In many cases the condition 

 of the eyes is quite normal. Again, the loss of consciousness 

 varies very much ; in one case we have complete insensibility, 

 in another a degree of hypersesthesia to touch and sound, as 

 expressed by convulsions and tremors, when the animal is 

 touched or spoken to. In one case, although a large clot, ex- 

 tending from the superior surfaces of the crura to the base of 

 the brain was discovered ^wst mortem, it was observed that when 

 left alone the horse would lie more or less quietly ; immediately 

 it was disturbed it would fight convulsively, the breathing 

 would become spasmodic, and it would dash its head with 



