DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 249 



of an unnaturally deep red, almost, brown color. By the 

 contraction of the vessels, this turbid blood is thrown back 

 upon the heart in larger quantities than that organ can dis- 

 pose of it. The heart becomes full, and can contain no 

 more ; the blood returning from the brajn can not move 

 forward; the jugular vein at the side of the neck is swollen 

 to its utmost capacity; the vessels of the brain, dreadfully 

 distended, press violently upon its soft substance ; the blood 

 is stilled; nervous action is suspended, and the horse falls 

 down in death. 



All this may not consume more time than we have occu- 

 pied in telling it, but sometimes it is the work of hours. The 

 condition that has induced the attack may have been de- 

 veloping for months or years. One who feeds his horse very 

 high, until the animal is very fat, and, meanwhile, allowed 

 but little exercise, need not be surprised, on going to the 

 stable some morning, to find his favorite dead or dying from 

 apoplexy. 



The attack comes on without much warning, sometimes 

 with none at all. When the farmer'l "bots" or "staggers" 

 takes on the features described above, the case is a grave 

 one. 



One effect of this disease merits particular notice, and this 

 is the extent to which the eyes often suffer, even w^hen the 

 apoplectic symptoms have been comparatively mild. Not a 

 few cases of eye diseases, and some of actual blindness, have 

 their origin in attacks of apoplexy. Says Youatt : " It is 

 not the common blindness from cataract, but a peculiarly 

 glassy appearance of the eye. If the history of these blind 

 horses could be told, it would be found that they had been 

 subject to tits of drooping and dullness, and these produced 

 by absurd management respecting labor and food." 



The symptoms and developments of apoplexy we have 

 already described, in great measure ; but Youatt's treatment 

 of the same subject is so full and satisfactory, that we can 

 not forego the pleasure of spreading the passages before our 

 readers: 



