THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 367 



power to roll it for mastication. In these cases the food has to be 

 removed by the hand. 



608. Reflex Paralysis. — This may arise from impaction of the 

 stomach and bowels of both cattle and horses. It is also caused by 

 pressure and obstruction in the urinary and generative- organs. 

 Cattle will sometimes lie for four or five weeks before calving, 

 without having the power to rise, and, after parturition, get up 

 without any assistance. 



609. Seeing that there are so many different causes, it is highly 

 important to call in professional aid at the very beginning, and have 

 the animal treated accordingly. 



610. Lightning Shock.— In the majority of cases lightning 

 shock affects the nervous system, more particularly the motory 

 nerves, causing total or partial paralysis, while the sensory nerves 

 become more acute. When one side is affected, the animal carries 

 its head to one side, and has a very unsteady gate, staggering from 

 side to side, while the muscles on the side of the face affected 

 become pendulous and swollen, or the neck may be so affected that 

 the animal cannot eat from the ground. The shock, however, may 

 be such that the animal loses the use of its limbs, and cannot get 

 up ; yet it can feed well, and, if a cow, chew the cud. These 

 various symptoms may be noticed, but no external marks are 

 visible. When, however, the electric current strikes the body, the 

 skin and hair have the appearance of having had a red-hot iron run 

 over them, while under the skin the tissues are jelly-like, and full of 

 effused material. In most cases of death from lightning the blood 

 remains fluid, and the muscles of the body do not stiffen, but are 

 flabby and soft, and readily decompose. 



611. Rabies. — This frightful malady, although formerly described 

 as an affection of the nervous system, is now considered to be due 

 to the action of a specific microbe, which gains entrance to the 

 system. Of all the animals that are subject to its baneful influence, 

 those of the dog tribe seem to be most prone. In some cases the 



