168 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



fully made out what it really is; but we do know 

 the cause, prevention and remedy. 



Causes: The horse has been at hard work, and 

 for some cause or other it has stopped for a few 

 days, but has been standing in the stable getting 

 its full allowance of food, which seems to have 

 some effect in producing the spasms above men- 

 tioned as soon as the animal is put to work. 



Symptoms: After the animal is brought out of 

 the stable it will be in high spirits; in some cases 

 it is difficult to hold it after going a short distance; 

 or it may be in some cases that the animal may be 

 driven for several miles before it shows any symp- 

 toms, but usually it is only a short distance be- 

 fore the animal seems to hang back and show stiff- 

 ness in its hind parts; it will then break out in a 

 profuse sweat and seem to be in great pain, and if 

 driven on will likely fall and be unable to rise; the 

 muscles of the loins and hips swell and become as 

 hard as a board, and the animal has no control over 

 them, and is therefore unable to rise; it will show 

 symptoms of pain by the movements of its forelegs 

 and by dashing its head about, and it can usually 

 neither pass feces nor urine. It breathes fast and 

 hard, and the pulse will be fast and full and the 

 temperature high, from one hundred and four to 

 one hundred and five. There is no other disease^ 

 that can be mistaken for this one, and as the dis- 

 ease is a nervous one I treat it as such, and if the 

 animal is attended to soon will always recover. 

 As soon as a horse shows signs of stiffness on be- 



