62 TETANUS — LOCKED JAW. 



Of Opium I can speak from my own practice. I attended a 

 horse belonging to the Enniskillen Dragoons for tetanus super- 

 vening on broken knees. After free blood-letting and purging, I 

 prescribed two drachms of opium to be given in a ball, morning and 

 evening. He continued to take the medicine regularly for ten 

 days, making altogether five ounces of solid opium; by which time 

 he had so far recovered as to render farther treatment unnecessary. 

 I ought to add that, while taking the opium, his bowels were kept 

 soluble by occasional doses of cathartic mass, and the daily admi- 

 nistration of aloetic clysters. 



The late Mr. Henderson, V.S., Edinburgh, also succeeded in 

 curing tetanus by the exhibition of opium in still larger doses, viz. 

 three drachms thrice a-day. The case is contained in The VETERI- 

 NARIAN for 1829. 



Mercury. — The late Mr. John Field was in the habit, after 

 blood-letting and purging, of anointing his patient with a mercu- 

 rial soap : a practice he adopted from his respected father, and one 

 in which they both placed great confidence. 



Digitalis. — Mr. Saunders, V.S., Wolverhampton, had two cases 

 of tetanus recover under the exhibition of doses of two drachms 

 of digitalis with three drachms of camphor, alternated with aloetic 

 purges, blood-letting being an accompaniment. 



Belladonna has been prescribed with considerable success by 

 Mr. Mavor, V.S., London, by Mr. Daws, V.S., London, and by 

 Mr. Hutchinson, V.S., Wragley, Lincolnshire, in doses of three and 

 four drachms. These accounts are to be found in The VETERINA- 

 RIAN for 1837-38. 



HYDROCYA.NIC OR Prussic Acid had its power over tetanus in 

 the horse first tested by Mr. Hayes, V.S., Rochdale. The doses 

 he gave amounted to thirteen drops of Gay Lussac's, forty of 

 Scheele's, or thirty of Magendie's, thrice a-day, in warm water. 

 Mr. Daws has exhibited, both internally and in the form of clyster, 

 drachm doses of the acid. 



The HyoscYAMUS Niger has been successfully employed in 

 doses of two drachms, in combination with hydrocyanic acid, by Mr. 

 St. Clair, V.S., Morpeth (Vetervuman 1839). 



