APOPLEXY. 95 



and the horse being fat and full of blood, more than the usual quantity is sent to the 

 head; or, from some negligence about the harness — as the collar being too small, oi 

 the curb-rein too tight — the blood is prevented from returning from the head. The 

 larger vessels of the brain will then be too long and injuriously distended ; and,, what 

 is of more consequence, the small vessels that permeate the substance of the brain 

 will be enlarged, and the bulk of the brain increased, so that it will press upon the 

 origins of the nerves, and produce, almost without warning, loss of power and con- 

 sciousness. 



The mildest affection of this kind is known by the name of Megrims. It compara- 

 tively rarely happens when the horse is ridden ; but should he be driven, and perhaps 

 rather quickly, he may perform a part of his journey with his usual cheerfulness and 

 ease : he will then suddenly stop, shake his head, and exhibit evident giddiness, and 

 half-unconsciousness. In a minute or two this will pass over, and he will go on 

 again as if nothing had happened. 



Occasionally, however, the attack will be of a more serious nature. He will fall 

 without the slightest warning, or suddenly run round once or twice, and then fall. He 

 will either lie in a state of complete insensibility, or struggle with the utmost violence. 

 In five or ten minutes he will begin gradually to come to himself; he will get up and 

 proceed on his journey, yet somewhat dull, and evidently affected and exhausted by 

 what had happened, although not seriously or permanently ill. 



At the moment of attack, a person who is competent to the task should abstract 

 three or four quarts of blood from the neck-vein ; or cut the bars of the palate in the 

 manner to be explained when we describe that part, and whence a considerable and 

 sufficient quantity of blood may be readily obtained. The driver should pat and 

 soothe the animal, loosen the curb-rein, if possible ease the collar, and pursue his 

 journey as slowly as circumstances will permit. When he gets home, a dose of 

 physic should be administered if the horse can be spared, the quantity of dry food 

 lessened, and mashes given, or green meat, or he should be turned out to grass for 

 two or three months. 



Is all this necessary because a horse has happened to have a fit of the megrims'? 

 Yes, and more too, in the mind of the prudent man ; for it is seldom that a horse has 

 the megrims without the predisposition to a second attack remaining. These over- 

 distended vessels may be relieved for a while, but it is long before they perfectly 

 recover their former tone. It requires but a little increased velocity or force in the 

 vital current once more to distend them, and to produce the same dangerous effects. 

 The testimony of experience is uniform with regard to this ; and he would not do 

 justice to himself or his family who trusted himself behind a horse that had a second 

 attack of megrims. 



APOPLEXY. 



Megrims is Apoplexy under its mildest form. In the latter affection, the deter- 

 mination of blood, if not so sudden, is greater, or differently directed, or more lastino-. 

 It is seldom, however, that there are not timely warnings of its approach, if the carter 

 or the groom had wit enough to observe them. The horse is a little off his feed — he 

 is more than usually dull — there is a degree of stupidity about him, and, generally, a 

 somewhat staggering gait. This goes off when he has been out a little while, but it 

 soon returns under a more decided character, until, at length, it forces itself on the 

 attention of the most careless. 



The actual illness is perhaps first recognised by the horse standing with his head 

 depressed. It bears upon, or is forced against the manger or the wall, and a con- 

 siderable part of the weight of the animal is evidently supported by this pressure of 

 Ihe head. As he thus stands, he is balancing himself from one side to the other as 

 if he were ready to fiiU ; and it is often dangerous to stand near to him, or to move 

 lim, for he falls without warning. If he can get his muzzle into a corner, he will 

 sometimes continue there motionless for a considerable time, and then drop as if he 

 were shot ; but, the next moment, he is up again, with his feet almost in the rack. 

 He sleeps or seems to do so as he stands, or at least he is nearly or quite unconscious 

 of surrounding objects. When he is roused, he looks vacantly around him. Perhaps 

 he will take a lock of hay if it is offered to him ; but ere it is half masticated, the eye 



