THE DISTEMPER. 141 



perhaps to the brain itself; where its effects produce, in 

 some cases, that paralysis of the loins and hinder extremi- 

 ties before noticed; and in others, spasmodic movements, 

 or twitchino's, over the muscles of a part or of the whole 

 body, which, when they are violent, give the sufferers a 

 grotesque and ridiculous appearance. Both the paralysis and 

 these spasms remain, in some cases, for months after the 

 other symptoms have disappeared, and, sometimes, even 

 through hfe. When the cerebral affection is more acute, 

 a symptomatic epilepsy appears in the form of those convul- 

 sive fits so common and so fatal to distemper. These fits are 

 generally, at first, trifling, and are often confined to the 

 mnscles of the jaws, which appear to champ, as though irri- 

 tated by an unpleasant substance put into the mouth ; a little 

 foam is usually produced by the champing, and in two or 

 three minutes the affection ceases. Cold water thrown in 

 the face, or even a little encouragement by fondling, will 

 frequently immediately remove these attacks : but it is very 

 seldom that these convulsive appearances, however trifling, 

 having once occurred during the progress of distemper, but 

 that they are followed up by others, at uncertain intervals of 

 a few minutes to a few hours, each succeeding fit increasing 

 in violence until the whole frame is contorted by the effect of 

 the convulsion : the animal cries, rolls, runs round, or is 

 drawn first to one side and then to the other. The fits are 

 attended sometimes with a total, sometimes with a partial 

 mental aUenation. When it is total, the dog is most violent; 

 he waters and dungs unconsciously, he tears up the ground, 

 bites every thing around him, and not unfrequently himself 

 also. When the fit is over, he shakes himself, and looks and 

 acts as usual, unless the attacks are very violent and long 

 continued, when they leave him greatly exhausted and dis- 

 pirited. The second, third, or fourth day from the first ap- 

 pearance of these epileptic attacks commonly closes the scene, 

 the animal being worn down by the additional strength and 

 increased frequency of each succeeding recurrence. 



The attack of convulsions may be often foretold for some 



