1 [SEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 8J 



don of the vessels, and is, therefore, more allied to the droj eiea 

 than to inflaramations. It is the collection of serum which doca 

 the mischief — presses on the brain, and causes the ooma and stu- 

 por. If so, the occurrence of those symptoms should be regarded 

 as secondary, instead of as primary, and as analogous to ascites, 

 dropsy, or anasarca, following disease of the kidneys. Those 

 pathological considerations are, it appears to me, wholly opposed 

 to the idea of blood-letting and antiphlogistics being benefit -ial 

 after effusion has occurred." 



Equine Chorea, or Stringhalt. 



Chorea, or stringhalt, consists of an irregular and involuntary 

 gpasmodic action of some of the muscles of the hind extremities. 

 Equine chorea differs somewhat from human chorea. In the lat- 

 ter case, it usually begins with slight twitches in the muscles of 

 the face, or in the upper extremities, and various parts of the body 

 twitch and contort in such a singular and unnatural manner, 

 that some persons have denominated the disease " insanity of the 

 muscles." 



In the case of horses, no such " insanity of muscles " has been 

 observed. It is mainly confined to the posterior limbs. Mr. 

 Feron, a distinguished V. S., contends that stringhalt bears 

 gome affinity to what is known in human medicine as chorea, or 

 " St. Vitus' dance." He does not, however, wish to convey the 

 idea that they are essentially the same disease, only they are both 

 of a convulsive or spasmodic character, wherein the mind, will, 

 or instinct has lost more or less of its control over the voluntary 

 muscles of the hind extremities, and the peculiar feat is thus ac- 

 complished. A\Tien the animal has lifted his hind leg from the 

 ground, which is always done with a convulsive twitch, the fet- 

 lock nearly approaches the belly, and, by some other remarkable 

 irregularities in its action, before the foot can be replaced on the 

 ground, disi)lays such unnatural movements as to convince us thai 

 volition is impaired. Hence, we may infer that, in a maiority of 

 cases, stringhalt is the result of some a])normal condition of the 

 nervous system. What occasions that condition is a matter of 

 fact and argument, which remains as an open question for some 

 future pathologist to decide. So far as the autlior's experience 

 goes, he is satisfied from actual dissection of the parts, that 8om€ 



