FIRST AID IN EMERGENCY 105 



done- There are no means of hiding it, either. 

 Clean your horse properly, as I have already ex- 

 plained to you, and avoid all such blemishes on your 

 animals. 



Megrims, Staggers, or Vertigo. — I can't do better 

 than quote the late Professor Robertson on this 

 subject. The above different terms, and probably 

 some others, have all been applied to that condition, 

 which is certainly the most frequently occurring of 

 the purely cerebral or brain diseases of the horse. 

 The terms vertigo and staggers, particularly the latter, 

 have probably been more frequently used to indicate 

 the existence of those symptoms merely — without 

 reference to the conditions to which such symptoms 

 point, or from which they arise — which are associated 

 with any cerebral disturbance exhibiting obtuseness 

 of perception, and a deficiency of control over the 

 voluntary movements of the limbs. 



Megrims, or siaggers, is usually sudden in its onset, 

 and of very temporary duration, but liable to recur- 

 rence in the greater number of cases, where animals 

 are actually engaged in draught, working in the 

 ordinary neck-collar. There is no premonitory 

 warning ; the animal slackens its pace, or suddenly 

 stops ; there is a shaking of the head, as if some 

 object had dropped into the ear, or the motion is 

 upwards and downwards ; less frequently the head is 

 turned to the side. The bloodvessels of the face and 

 throat are distended, the eyes stare, the nostrils 

 become dilated, the breathing rapid ; the fore legs are 

 occasionally placed widely apart, as if for support, 

 the facial muscles exhibit a rapid twitching action, 

 while the skin is damp from perspiration. When, 

 however, the symptoms increase in severity, the 

 muscular tremors are more extensive, excitement is 

 greater, and the fury becomes uncontrollable ; the 

 animal plunging forward or rearing, falls prostrate 



