PARALYSIS — PALSY. 35 



Post-mortem. — A small quantity of fluid and some lymph were found in the 

 left ventricle of the brain. The plexus choroides were rather larger than or- 

 dinary, and contained a tumour the size of half a small bean ; the brain un- 

 usually soft and pulpy about the origins of the olfactory nerves. 



Mr. Daws, V.S., London, gives a case in The Veterinarian for 1839, in 

 some respects similar to this. A horse received into his infirmary had that 

 reeling gait of the hind quarters peculiar to broken -backed horses, though 

 able to kick ; the tail dependent, swinging like a pendulum, without power to 

 raise it ; the sphincter ani partially relaxed, exposing the faeces in the rectum ; 

 occasional straining to void dung and urine, but with little or no effect, a little 

 urine only dribbling away afterwards, or a little faeces, which seemed to pass 

 involuntarily. The hand passed per anum was not grasped by the rectum ; 

 in fact, it rather resembled a sack than living intestine ; the sphincter ani re- 

 mained relaxed, and the air rushed in and out at every inspiration and ex- 

 piration. The bladder was enormously distended : its fundus reached the 

 umbilicus. 



Treatment. — Introduction of the catheter and evacuation of the bladder, 

 assisted by manual pressure from within the rectum. The bladder did not 

 contract after having been evacuated, but collapsed, and remained flaccid ; 

 it, however, gradually recovered some degree of tone in the course of ten days 

 or a fortnight. The rectum also became contracted in caliber, but the sphinc- 

 ter remained in statu quo. His diet is strictly confined to laxative nutritious 

 food ; and he appears to suffer no inconvenience unless his bowels become 

 constipated. 



Causes. — Palsy is mostly the offspring of injury. In too many 

 instances paraplegia has appeared after casting. The horse is cast 

 for the performance of some operation : all seems to be going on 

 well up to the time of liberating him from his fetters ; which done, 

 to the surprise and dismay of the operator, the patient is found un- 

 unable to rise. It is at once known what is the matter. " The 

 horse's back is broken ;" that is to say, the spine is injured — frac- 

 tured, most likely — and the compression upon the marrow is causing 

 the paraplegia. The same accident has occurred from violent leap- 

 ing or falling : it is possible for it to happen even from the horse 

 being self-cast in his stall. 



Mr. Hudson, V s., Lincoln, has inserted a case in The 

 Veterinarian for 1829, of an aged mare, who, 



Hunting with Sir Richard Sutton's hounds, in leaping a ditch two yards 

 wide, " dropped in with her hind parts, but succeeded in getting out, and 

 staggered a short distance farther, when she /ell, and could not be made to 



