tetanus — locked jaw. 49 



Tetanus may supervene on any Stage or State of the 

 Wound : the suppurative, however, appears the most inductive. 

 The disorder may even arise after the wound has healed and cica- 

 trized. 



The Fourth Day has, on several occasions, proved critical of 

 its appearance. In one of Mr. Field's cases the disease seized 

 the horse '' within an hour after (the occurrence of) a wound 

 occasioning immediate and excessive pain." It has frequently 

 appeared as late as three weeks after an injury. At St. Domingo, 

 where the disease is prevalent, it makes its attack generally during 

 the rainy seasons, September and May. 



Horses of all Ages experience tetanus. In The Vete- 

 rinarian for 1831, Mr. Dickens, V.S., Kimbolton, has recorded a 

 case of extraordinary youthhood. It occurred in a filly only a 

 fortnight old, who was attacked at her dam's side, and died of the 

 disease. From the circumstance of the umbilical cord having 

 been broken off unusually short, and appearing to be the only place 

 where traumatic irritation could exist, Mr. D. was naturally in- 

 duced, after death, to examine it : and it proved fortunate he did ; 

 for he found the uinjailical arteries, quite up to their origin from the 

 aorta, full of pus^'and in a condition approaching to gangrene. 



HiGH-BREp OR IRRITABLE HORSES may be expected to take 

 tetanus from pauses under which low-bred horses, or such as are of 

 an indolent j|hlegmatic habit of body, would escape. In animals, 

 as in dur*lves, there is a peculiar make and temperament that is 

 evideimy nervous, and may be said to be tetanic; opposed to which 

 is anoilier kiiosyncrasy wherein the disease is hardly ever seen. 



THEISYifcATHETlC DISORDER, as I shall call the other form of 

 centmpital tkanus, is that which, from the absence of all wound or 

 injuiyjjwe; ha\e got into^the habit of considering as idiopathic ; 

 thoiiglll in 5 point of j^^f^w^ile some cases so considered are, no 

 diomitf'ceniral, i^)^., originate within the spinal marrow, others, 

 there seenas gdodVeason foi| believing, must be dependent upon 

 sonte irritation, eith^ withinjthe alimentary canal, or in some other 

 pan of the body. Sl^ould this turn out to be the case, our patho- 

 logy of tetanus will have undergone essential improvement; and 

 wfe shall be able to aopount, in a measure, for our therapeutic 

 /VOL. III. \ H 



