192 THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



considered to be idiopathic, i. e., central. And in the position 

 which Mr. H. has taken, I am very much disposed to think, that 

 (although I do not believe his theory complete) he stands very 

 strong. 



"I feel no doubt myself, that a very large proportion of our 

 cases of tetanus originate either from wound, discovered or not 

 discovered, or from some other cause of local irritation ; and that 

 cause Mr. H. has found frequently to be * an unusually vascular 

 appearance of the large sympathetic nerves, through their various 

 ramifications in the chest and abdomen.' In one case, in combi- 

 nation with this appearance, he found distention and redness of 

 the stomach, with crimson spots upon its pyloric portion ; in a 

 second case, with the same, an enormous quantity of bots, several 

 of which had eaten through the coats of the stomach ; in a third, 

 with the same, an immense number of worms, called (erites, in 

 the stomach and small intestines, and in some parts of the duode- 

 num and jejunum, sufficient to block up the passages. The ves- 

 sels of the pia mater were also unusually distended, the brain in 

 this case being examined ; and there was more water than usual 

 in the ventricles. To this it may be right to add, that Mr. H. 

 found the sympathetic nerves similarly affected in a case of 

 tetanus apparently caused by broken knees. Mr. Karkeek, V. 

 S., has since made the same observation on idiopathic tetanus ; 

 and in regard to it, coupled with the consideration of other facts, 

 sagaciously remarks, that ' tetanus depends, if any disease does, 

 upon sympathy.' And in another place, says, * I am of opinion 

 that a diseased state of the digestive organs is invariably the 

 primary cause, as, on dissection, I have ever discovered it to exist. 

 Thus confirming Mr. Abernethy's opinion." 



The reader must bear in mind that the nervous system of or- 

 ganic life and the sympathetic nerves, — originating from the 

 spinal marrow, — form a network of ganglia and fibrils, which 

 are distributed to the various parts of the nutritive and secretory 

 apparatus, the fibrils forming a plexus upon the walls of blood 

 vessels, and with them running to the various parts of the body. 

 They possess the power of exciting muscular contractions in the 

 various parts to which they are distributed, by reflex action on 

 their spinal origin, from whence they derive motive power. 



