378 TETANUS, 



Third Sta&e. — The third and last stage of this fearful 

 malady is marked by the spasmodic attacks presenting as it 

 were a cumulative character. They appear with increased 

 force ; they are of longer duration, and they succeed each other 

 with greater rapidity, until in the end the limbs become so 

 rigid that the patient is no longer able to balance himself; he 

 falls to the ground, a heap of cramp and distortion ; the limbs 

 will become inflexible ; the neck will be drawn towards the 

 back with a force that threatens to crush the bones of the 

 cervical and dorsal vertebrae into fragments ; the nostrils will 

 be dilated, and the body suff'used with perspiration ; the respi- 

 rations will have become more rapid and harsh in sound, until 

 at last one spasm more dreadful in intensity than any former 

 one seizes the poor animal, and death mercifully closes the 

 painful scene. 



Pathognomonic Symptoms. — Spasm and rigidity of the 

 voluntary muscles generally, associated with protrusion of the 

 membrana nictitans, and incapacity of the animal for rapid 

 motion. 



Causes. — The mechanical causes of Tetanus are numerous ; 

 and many of them are seemingly so simple as to appear inade- 

 quate to the production of such violent and terrific effects. 

 Simple punctures and mere scratches upon the skin have been 

 known to induce the malady. Mr. Dickens, of Kimbolton, 

 relates in the Veterinarian, for 1857, page 689, the case of a 

 young horse having received a slight scratch upon his side, by 

 coming in contact with a nail. Ten days afterwards the animal 

 was seized with Tetanus of so violent a character as to destroy 

 its life in a few hours. 



