PARALYSIS — PALSY. 41 



increases, the pulse becomes weak and accelerated, sweats break 

 out, strength declines, and death at length closes the scene. 



The Prognosis, generally speaking, must be unfavourable. No 

 hopes can be entertained of a case arising from casting or fall, or 

 other violent injury ; and, therefore, the advice may, without 

 hesitation, be a pistol-shot : at least, it can only add to the cost 

 of the owner and the misery of the unfortunate patient to pro- 

 tract this act of humanity beyond such time as may be found 

 reasonable and sufficient for the trial of any remedial measures that 

 may suggest themselves at the moment. In an idiopathic case, or 

 in one which we may suspect to have its origin in some disease 

 or derangement of some other organ or part, it will be our duty 

 to endeavour to discover and remove the cause ; should that be 

 impossible, we must direct our remedies towards its mitigation : 

 the prognosis in any case being more or less auspicious according 

 as it appears in our power to carry one of these objects into effect, 

 and according as the paralysis is more or less extensive and com- 

 plete. While sensation and the temperature of the affected parts 

 remain undiminished, there is more hope entertainable ; on the 

 other hand, when all sensibility, as well as power of moving, is 

 lost, and the palsied parts have a deadly coldness pervading them, 

 the sooner the poor patient is put out of his misery probably the 

 better. The epidemic form of the disease appears the least 

 dangerous. 



Treatment. — Finding his patient down — as will generally 

 be the case — -it will become a question with the practitioner, 

 should he have the necessary apparatus at hand, whether or not 

 it appears advisable to raise the horse into slings. In most in- 

 stances I should say it will : in the erect posture he Avill be more 

 conveniently bled, and have administered to him whatever else is 

 required; and besides, the spine will be set up in its natural 

 position : it will seldom happen, however, that the animal can with 

 advantage be kept long in such confinement*. Should the accident 

 which produced the palsy be of a nature, or the interval that 

 elapsed between the accident and the supervention of the paralysis 



* For an account of the improved method of suspension, vide vol. i, 

 p. 228. 



VOL. III. G 



