CHOREA. 247 



Some horses affected with stringhalt, "when injured in the 

 feet, become almost unmanageable from the extent of the spasm r 

 they are soon exhausted by the expenditure of nervous and 

 muscular force, and the mortality from such injuries is much 

 greater than in horses free from stringhalt. 



There is no treatment in chronic stringhalt. I have divided 

 the tibial nen'es when it has been associated with bone-spavin. 

 In this case it was confined to one leg only, and to a fearful ex- 

 tent, the foot being caught up with extreme rapidity, and brought 

 down with great \^olence, insomuch that the shoe was repeatedly 

 broken by the violence of the concussion. There was a bone- 

 spavin on the hock, with considerable heat and tenderness. 

 After trying various remedies upon the hock without good 

 result, I divided the tibial nerves ; but the animal derived no 

 benefit from the operation. In aggravated cases the limbs are 

 adducted, the foot thrown outwards, as well as elevated, during 

 the act of progression. But where the symptoms are aggravated 

 from any cause — such as an injury, common cold, or other source 

 of febrile disturbance— the severity of the spasmodic action may 

 be much modified by removal of the cause of excitement, and by 

 a cathartic, belladonna, or the bromide of potassium, in suitable 

 doses. Hard work will very often increase stringhalt to such an 

 extent as to call for medical tvontment. In the rheumatic form 

 the treatment for rheumatism is to be prescribed. In Australia' 

 "stringhalt" is becoming serious, but its cause does not seem.* 

 to be yet discovered. 



IMMOBILIT]^, SHIVERING, SPRAINED BACK, ETC. 



Immobilite is a term applied by French veterinarians to those 

 cases of muscular irregularity manifested by the inability of the 

 horse to turn round quickly without falling. He may be able to 

 trot in a straight line well enough, but when turned round 

 sharply, immediately falls. A modified form of this disease is 

 very often encountered when the animal, although able to turn 

 without falling, does so with great difficulty, throwing the hind 

 legs about in an awkward, unsteady manner, and seemingly 

 without power to regulate their movements ; the hind quarters 

 i-eeling from side to side, clearly showing that the muscular 

 movements are imperfectly controlled by the power of volition. 



This is commonly called broken, sprained, or jinked back by 



