PARALYSIS. 545 



■ — 1st. Centric, or tliat arising from disease of tlie spinal cord or 

 its membranes. Symptoms simulating paralysis may occur from 

 occlusion of the iliac arteries. — (See Veterinary Surgery^ 2cl. 

 Eccentric or reflex paraplegia ; and ocl. Paralysis due to blood 

 poisoning. 



Of centric paraplegia but little need be said ; it is symp- 

 tomatic of conditions of tlie sj)inal cord and its membranes 

 already described, or it may result from injuries to the cord 

 arising from violence, fractures, &c. 



EEFLEX PARAPLEGIA. 



In horses, cattle, and dogs, spinal paralysis is met with in 

 which no disease of the cord or its meninges can be detected 

 "post mortem in those which die, and which, in many cases, is 

 quite ephemeral, passing away when its cause is removed. 



The causes of reflex paralysis as seen in the horse are those 

 originating in indigestion, constipation of the bowels, and, in the 

 mare, uterine irritation. 



Paralysis arising from indigestion is occasionally witnessed 

 during attacks of colic, the loss of power coming on rather 

 slowly; the animal is at first seen to show weakness of one 

 hind limb, with knuckling over at the fetlock, and difficulty of 

 moving it, then the opposite limb may become affected ; and if 

 the loss of motor power be great, the animal falls upon its 

 haunches, and is unable to rise. If it be a docile animal and 

 Avill lie quietly, the paralysis may disappear in a few hours, or 

 leave only such traces as weakness of the limbs and staggering 

 gait, which may take some days to pass away. 



In mares, during the period of oestrum, I have repeatedly 

 seen cases of paraplegia, generally preceded by some irregular 

 muscular action ; persistent tonic spasm of the muscles of the 

 hind quarters, continual kicking with the hind feet, with great 

 injection of the vulva, succeeded by loss of motor power, and 

 even death. — (See Hysteria') In dogs, paralysis, even affecting all 

 parts of the body except the head, is not an infrequent result of 

 the irritation of teething, indulgence in rich food, and want of 

 exercise. In horned cattle paraplegia is not an infrequent 

 symptom of indigestion, arising from impaction of the rumen, 

 uud f torn post-parturient uterine irritation. I have already men- 



2 N 



