TETANUS, OK LOCKED JAW. 181 



Li oil-bred, irritable animals are tlie most liable to it. It may result from 

 almost every variety of wound, no matter what its situation. It would 

 appear, however, that wounds in some parts have a much greater tendency 

 to produce this disease than in others. The foot is a very frequent sonrce 

 or focus of tetanic injury. The horse becomes lame — the injury may liave 

 been carefully treated, carelessly treated, or not treated at all— the lameness, 

 however,, disappears, but the wound has not healed. There is an un- 

 healthiness about it, and at the expiration of eight or ten days, tetanus 

 appears. Some nervous fibre has been irritated or inflamed by the acci- 

 dent, slight as it was. 



Docking, nicking, overreach, suppurating corns, castration and injuries, 

 especially about the orbit, are frequent canses of tetanus. In all these 

 cases the attack is termed Traumatic Tetanus as arising from, or depend 

 ing on, some injury received, but unquestionably it may be set up without 

 any external injury whatever. The records of veterinary proceedings 

 contain accounts of tetanus following labour, brutally exacted beyond the 

 animal's natural strength, in the di'aught of heavy loads. Horses that 

 have been matched against time have too freqnently died of tetanus a 

 little while afterwards. Sudden exposure to cold after being heated by 

 exercise has produced this di-eadful state of nervous action, and especially 

 if the horse has stood in a partial di-aught, or cold water has been di-ipping 

 on the loins. These cases are called Idiopathic Tetanus, that is, arising, 

 like any other severe malady, from some peculiar susceptibility to derange- 

 ment of the constitution itself. 



Traumatic Tetanus is much the most dangerons kind, and will generally 

 prove fatal ; on the other hand, from Idiopatliic Tetanus the animal not 

 unfi-equently recovers. Other terms are also applied to distinguish when 

 certain parts only are affected. When the spasm is confined to the muscles 

 of the jaws it is named Trismus ; when the muscles of the neck and back 

 are chiefly affected, it is called Opisthotonos ; the reverse of this, when 

 the inferior muscles are affected, is Emprosthotonos ; when the body is 

 drawn to one side, that of Pleurosthotonos. Although these different states 

 may exist in the human siibject, we shall rarely meet with them in the 

 horse, and then only in the form of Trismus or Opisthotonos. 



The treatment of tetanus is simple, and would be oftener successful if 

 carried to its full extent. The indication of cure is plain enough — the 

 system onust he tranquillised. 



Eight or ten drachms of aloes, with 5i. to 5ij. calomel, should be ad- 

 ministered. If the remission of the spasm is slight, there is another pur- 

 gative — not so certain in its action, but more powerful when it does act — 

 the farina of the croton nut. There is little or no danger of exciting 

 inflammation of the mucous membi-ane of the intestines by this prompt 

 and energetic administration of purgative medicine, for there is too much 

 determination of vital power towards the nervous system — too much 

 irritation there — to leave cause for da^eading the possibihty of metastasis 

 elsewhere. It would be desii^able if a certain degree of inflammation could 

 be excited, because to that extent the ii^ritation of the nei-vous system 

 might be allayed. There is another reason, and a very powerful one — 

 time is rapidly passing. The tetanic action may extend to the intestines, 

 and the co-operation of the abdominal muscles in keeping up the peristaltic 

 motion of the bowels, and expelling their contents, may be lost. We have, 

 indeed, more faith in the effect of physic, as a remedy for this dreadful 

 disease, than any other ; if active purgation can be set up — and a chance 

 (if recovery is left — that purgation -srill insure it. Use the balling probang, 

 a cone, a stick, anything, to introduce a full dose of physic intoliis thioa^ 

 if not into his thi'oat, leave it on the tongue ; if that is impossible, insei-t 



