1^ 



AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 

 TETANUS, OR LOCK-JAW. 



A. CASE OF TETANUS. 



With singular fidelity, the artist has here depicted a case 

 of tetanus in the horse. Our readers will be well repaid for 

 a careful study of this engraving. The points to be partic- 

 ularly noticed are the rigidity of the muscles, and the stiff- 

 ness of the joints; the protrusion of the muzzle; the immo- 

 bility of the ears ; the dilatation of the nostrils, with little 

 or no play; the eye deeply withdrawn in the socket; the 

 haggard, horror-struck expression of the countenance; the 

 tucking up of the belly from the extreme contraction of the 

 abdominal muscles and diaphragm; and the straddling pos- 

 ture of the legs. 



Tetanus is one of the most dreadful of all the diseases 

 which attack the horse. Fortunately, it is pf comparatively 

 rare occurrence in our country, as is proven by the fact that 

 thousands of persons, familiar with horses all their lives, 

 have never seen a single case of it. In some European 

 countries it has prevailed to a much greater extent, and has 

 engrossed a large share of the veterinary surgeon's attention. 



The disease undoubtedly results from the lesion of some 

 functional nerve, producing, more or less rapidly, extreme 

 irritability of the entire nervous system, and terminating in 

 fearful contractions and spasms of all the muscles in the 



J 



