180 TETAXLS, OK LOCKED JAW. 



contract witli all tlie power tliey possess, and tliere is a degree of ' liidc- 

 bound ' appearance and rigidity, and of tucking up of tlie belly, wbicli is 

 seen under no other complaint. Tiie tail becomes in constant motion 

 from the alternate and ^-iolent action of the muscles that elevate and 

 depress it. 



Constipation, and to an almost insurmountable degree, now appears. 

 The abdominal muscles are so powerfully contracted, that no portion of the 

 contents of the abdomen can pass on and be discharged. 



By degrees the s^aasm extends and becomes everywhere more violent. 

 The motion of the whole frame is lost, and the horse stands fixed in the un- 

 natural posture which he has assumed. The countenance becomes wilder 

 and more haggard- — its expression can never be effaced from the memory 

 of him who cares about the feehngs of a brute ; the tail is now permanently 

 raised, and, if depressed for a moment by the hand, instantly resumes its 

 elevation. The violent cramp of a single muscle or set of muscles makes 

 the stoutest heart quail, and draws forth the most pitious cries — what, 

 then, must it be for this tortui-e to pervade the whole frame, and to con- 

 tinue, with little respite, from day to day, and from week to week. When 

 his attendant approaches and touches liim, he scarcely moves ; but the 

 despairing gaze, and the sudden acceleration of the pulse, indicate what ho 

 feels and fears. 



Tetanus, then, is evidently an affection of the nerves. A small fibre of 

 some nerve has been injured, and the effect of that injury has spread to the 

 origin of the "nerve — the brain then becomes affected — and ujiiversal 

 diseased action follows. Tetanus is a spasm of the whole frame — not 

 merely of one set of muscles, but of their antagonists also. The fixidity of 

 the animal is the effect of opposed and violent muscular contraction. It 

 belongs to the lower column of nerves only. The sensibility is unimpaired 

 — perhaps it is heightened. The horse would eat if he could ; he tries to 

 suck up some moisture from his mash ; and the avidity with which he lends 

 himself to assist in the administering of a httle gruel, shows that the feel- 

 ings of hunger and thirst remain unimpaired. 



The disease may terminate fatally in forty-eight lioui's, but as a rule 

 death takes place from the third to the sixth day ; if the horse should 

 sui'vive till the seventh or eighth day, a favourable termination may be 

 expected, although in some cases they will die a month after the attack. 

 If from strength of constitution or medical treatment, he should recover, 

 the first favoui'able sjonptom is a shght and short remission of the spasm ; 

 the time of the remission gradually lengthening, and the jaws a Httle re- 

 laxing ; but the progress of cui'e is exceedingly slow, and the horse is left 

 very weak. 



On post-mortem examination the muscular fibre will exhibit suSicient 

 proof of the labour which has been exacted from it. The muscles will 

 appear as if they had been macerated — their textui'e will be softened, and 

 they will be torn with the greatest ease. The lungs will, in the majority 

 of cases, be highly inflamed, for they have been labouring long and painfully 

 to fui-nish artei'ial blood in suflicient quantity to support this great expendi- 

 ture of animal power. The stomach will contain patches of inflammation, 

 but the intestines, in most cases, will not exhibit much departure from the 

 hue of health. The examination of the brain will be altogether unsatis- 

 factory. There may be slight injection of some of the membranes, but, 

 in the majority of cases, there will not be any morbid change worthy of 

 record. 



Tetanus is usually the result of the injury of some nervous fibre, and 

 the effect of that lesion propagated to the brain. It occurs at all ages, 

 from the foal a fortnight old, and amongst all classes of the horse; but 



