THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 51 



It may be of some service to the reader to be informed that 

 counter irritants should not be resorted to in the early inflamma- 

 tory type of cerebral disorder, for they are always painful to the 

 horse, whose skin is so highly sensitive, and the stimulation or 

 irritations are always reverberated to the affected organs, and 

 also occasion more or less excitement to the whole system. 

 Therefore they should not be resorted to until some general treat- 

 ment has been adopted ; they will then be of much use in divert- 

 ing the internal local irritations to the surface, by which means 

 the internal tissues are relieved. 



LETHARGY. 



This is a mild form of apoplexy, and arises either from a con- 

 gested brain, or may be occasioned by an overloaded stomach. 



Gibson says, " When a horse falls into a lethargy, he generally 

 rests his head with his mouth in the manger, and his poll often 

 inclined to one side ; he will shew an inclination to eat, but for 

 the most part falls asleep with the food in his mouth, and seldom 

 chews, but swallows it down ; unless he is roused, he presently 

 falls asleep again. If a horse continues any time in this state, he 

 falls into an atrophy or general decay." The best remedy for 

 this pathological condition is a long run at grass. Lethargy is 

 probably only another name for sleepy staggers, (which see.) 



INFLAMMATION OF THE ARACHNOID MEMBRANE OF THE 

 BRAIN. — (Arachnoiditis.') 



This membrane is situated between the dura and pia mater ; 

 the former is situated within and next the cranium, and the latter 

 is in immediate contact with the brain ; so that the arachnoid 

 membrane lies between the two, and extends to the termination 

 of the spinal marrow. It is a very difficult affair to diagnose cor- 

 rectly a disease occurring in a membrane so obscure and slightly 

 organized as this is known to be, and it requires considerable 

 stretch of the imagination to conceive how this membrane can be 

 the special seat of inflammatory action without involving its asso- 

 ciate tissues, and even the brain itself; and even should the dis- 



