TETANUS, OR LOCKED-JAW. 107 



either upon the extent of the wound, or the degree of inflammation which 

 may be excited. The time of the attack is uncertain, and may be post- 

 poned until the wound is nearly or quite healed. It occasionally follows 

 nicking, docking, cropping, whether well or ill performed — whether pro- 

 perly attended to afterwards, or neglected. It has been traced to worms, 

 and particularly to bots ; but we do not think that there is any proof of 

 this. Exposure to cold is a frequent cause ; water dropping upon the back 

 through the decayed roof of a stable ; or the storm pelting upon the unco- 

 vered and shivering animal, while the thoughtless owner has sheltered 

 himself. 



The rational method of cure would seem to be, first to remove the local 

 cause ; — but this will seldom avail much. The irritation is become general, 

 and the spasmodic action constitutional. The habit is formed, and will 

 continue. It is well, however, to endeavour to discover the local cause. If 

 it be a wound in the foot, let it be touched with the hot iron or the caustic, 

 and kept open with digestive ointment. The new irritation thus produced, 

 may lessen or remove the old one. If it follows nicking, let the incision be 

 made deeper, and stimulated by digestive ointment ; — and if it arise from 

 docking, let the operation be repeated higher. In treating the constitu- 

 tional disease, efforts must be made to tranquillise the system, and the most 

 powerful agent is bleeding. We have known twenty pounds of blood taken 

 at once and with manifest advantage. There is not a more pov/erful means 

 of allaying general irritation. Temporary relaxation of the spasm will at 

 least follow, and that will give the opportunity to do another thing in order 

 to reduce and quiet the disturbed system, and that is, to give physic. Here 

 ?gain, that physic is best which is speediest in operation, and will lie in the 

 smallest compass. The croton has no rival in this respect. The first 

 dose should be a half drachm, and the medichie repeated every six hours, 

 in doses often grahis, until it operates. The bowels, in all these nervous 

 affections, are very torpid, and there is little danger of inflammation from 

 an over dose of physic. The operation of the physic may be assisted by 

 frequent injections, each contahiing a drachm of aloes dissolved in warm 

 water — or, by means of the pump, to which we referred in page 103, whole 

 pailfuls of warm water, or very thin gruel, may be thrown up. 



Then, as it is a diseased action of the nerves proceeding from the spinal 

 marrow, the whole of the spine should be blistered — three or four inches 

 wide. The horse should be placed in a warm stable, yet with pure air, and 

 should be clothed with two or three additional rugs, or, what is much better, 

 sheep- skins warm from the animal, with the raw side inward ; and changed 

 as soon as they become dry or putrid. 



Having bled largely, and physicked and bhstered, we seek for other 

 means to lull the irritation, and we have one at hand, small in bulk and 

 potent in energy — opium. Give at once a quarter of an ounce, reduced to 

 powder, and made into a drink with gruel, or in a small ball, (in its crude 

 state it would be too long' in dissolving in the stomach :) and give an addi- 

 tional drachm every six hours. If the jaw should be quite fixed, adminis- 

 ter it in injections. The bowels must be attended to during the exhibition 

 of the opium, and aloes given in small doses, to keep them in a lax state. 

 Camphor and assafoetida may be given by those who please ; — we are not 

 aware that they will do injury, but opium is the sheet anchor of the vete- 

 rinary practitioner. 



Great caution and patience are requisite in administering the drinks, 

 for the elevating of the head seems to be exceedingly painful to the horse. 

 A ball may be divided into small pieces, and with a piece of cane or whale- 



