APOPLEXY. 129 



If the horse show any signs of recovering, gentle ex- 

 ercise and a spare diet, with the occasional use of alter- 

 atives, will be the best course of treatment for some 

 time. 



TETANUS — LOCK-JAW. 



Tetanus can only be properly described as a per- 

 manent and not a periodical spasm ; but whether the 

 extreme rigidity of the muscles is caused by a portion 

 or the whole of the nervous system being in a state of 

 extreme irritation and tension, seems uncertain. 



It does not appear that the horse loses his powers of 

 sensation in this disease. 



Properly speaking lock-jaw is limited to the muscles 

 of the jaw and throat ; but when a more extensive con- 

 traction of muscles takes place, it is termed tetanus. 



In the horse tetanus is generally of the acute and 

 not chronic nature, and, consequently, is usually fatal. 



I have heard of a case of tetanus caused by a stub 

 in the foot terminating fatally in two hours, but gener- 

 ally the fatal advances of this disease are more gradual. 



The symptoms are readily discerned by stiffness in 

 the neck gradually increasing, which renders any at- 

 tempt at movement of the head very painful. The 

 difficulty of mastication and swallowing soon follows, 

 and, in acute cases, becomes almost immediately utterly 

 impossible. Yery painful convulsive efforts attend 

 any attempt at swallowing. 



The spasms around the neck soon become violent, 

 and the head is for the most part retracted, and the 



K 



