PALSY. Hi 



It is often difficult to determine what are the precise causes of 

 epilepsy ; the immediate one is generally some excitant or stimu 

 lant acting on a system predisposed by cerebral inflammation, or by 

 intestinal irritation arising from worms, or other sources, to take on 

 disease. 



We quote a case communicated by Mr. Cartwright, of Whitchurch, 

 to whom we are indebted for much useful information relative to the 

 diseases of swine : 



" In 1825, I saw a pig that was taken ill in the following manner : 

 He was a little stupid and dull, and now wandered about the ty 

 unconsciously for a few minutes, and then appeared to be quite well; 

 but in a few days after he became worse : he would r.ove forwards 

 until he came to one wall, and then retreat backwards until he came 

 to the other wall ; and made a grunting and squealing noise all the 

 time the fit was on him, which was usually a few minutes, and some- 

 times longer ; and he had them every quarter of an hour, and even 

 oftener. His fits continued to increase ; when he had been thus for 

 about five days he began, after so backing himself, to fall down at 

 full length, stretch out his legs and tumble about, and appear as if 

 dying, and make a shrieking noise as if in great pain, and seem to 

 be blind. His pulse was very quick and full during the fits, but 

 subsided a great deal when they were over. He ate at intervals 

 between the fits when food was put to him. He continued in this 

 latter bad state for three or four days, and got well in a few days 

 after. I gave him salts and calomel during his illness, bled him in 

 the tail and ears, and between his claws ; but little blood, I fancy, 

 was obtained from all the places ; and I kept his head wet with cold 

 water. 



"About the same time a miller in this neighborhood lost five or 

 six in a similar way, but I had not an opportunity of opening any 

 of them." 



PALSY OR PARALYSIS. 



This is by no means a disease of frequent occurrence in our own 

 country. It is treated of by French writers, who attribute it to low, 

 marshy situations, bad or damaged food, or the avarice of the pig- 

 owner, who, in order to fatten the animals more rapidly, gives them 

 highly stimulating food, which irritates the intestinal canal, and 

 through it the spinal cord. Eric Viborg, an authority quoted by 

 Hurtrel D'Arboval, recommends wholesome food, clean straw, a dose 

 of common salt as a purgative, and drenches of common salt and 

 gentian. 



But there is a kind of partial palsy which is caused by the pre- 

 sence of cysticercus cellulosa, a hydatid peculiar to the pig. M. Dupuy 

 gives the following case which came under his observation : 



" Palsy of the hind limbs, with loss both of motion and feeling 



