EPILEPSY 257 



body and neck are drawn backward or sideways; thei'e is twitching of the 

 ears, the legs are stretched ; the respirations seem to cease. This tonic form 

 of convulsion lasts but a short time. A few seconds after its appearance it 

 has altered into clonic cramps of the muscles, especially noticed in the legs, 

 which are frequently twitched, and the legs may move rapidly as if the 

 animal was running. After a few minutes these twitchings stop; the ani- 

 mal lies on the ground for some time; it finally rises and recovers very 

 quickly; some animals, however, are dazed and everything seems strange, 

 they are afraid of their owner, or do not recognize him. They creep 

 around and hide in dark corners, and after the attack has passed off they 

 are greatly fatigued, frequently sleeping several hours at a time, and in rare 

 instances show a tendency to bite. The pulse and temperature during 

 an attack of this kind present no alteration of any consequence. The 

 mucous membranes of the head are reddened and congested, sometimes 

 cyanotic. This is noticed at the termination of an attack, and is probably 

 due to the interruption of respiration, and the slight respiratory move- 

 ments, and frequently an involuntary passing of faeces and urine is noted 

 during these convulsions. 



There are also certain forms in which the animal is restless, running 

 from side to side, or having fainting spells (dropping on one side), slight 

 muscular twitchings of the head or extremities, and occasionally, in mild 

 attacks, a very slight twitching of the jaw, rolling or winking of the eyes. 

 The duration of these attacks varies, as a rule not lasting very long, 

 generally only a few minutes, although severe attacks have been known to 

 last for five or six hours. Their frequency is very uncertain; some animals 

 have had several attacks daily, while in others they have appeared at 

 intervals of months. A peculiar feature of some cases of true epilepsy 

 ■was the frequent attacks on the slightest excitement. In the interval 

 between the attacks, the animal seems perfectly normal, and only in very 

 rare instances are the animals subject to these attacks dull or stupid. 

 This disease is rarely fatal but an animal may either injure itself during an 

 attack or a very severe attack may cause death by suppression of respira- 

 tion or paralysis of the heart. The differential diagnosis between this 

 condition and a simple fit, or convulsion, is easily made on getting an 

 exact history of the case. 



In connection with this disease we must devote a few words toepilepti- 

 form convulsions in young animals. We very often see epilepsy in weak, 

 debilitated animals which are backward or poorly fed, and which have 

 rickets; they also occur as a consequence of reflex irritability during the 

 course of catarrhal diseases of the digestive tract and of the nasal cavi- 

 ties. We also notice them after the absorption of large quantities of 

 fermenting, indigestible food, in constipation, from the presence of pen- 

 tastoma, and in cases of intestinal parasites, at the time of teething, 

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