Diseases of the Nervous System. 227 



required as internal remedies at a later stage, when good 

 progress is made. The feeding for some time must be 

 conducted with the greatest care to prevent a return of 

 the disease. 



Inflammation of the Substance of the Brain, 

 or Cercbritis, is usually associated with strangles and sup- 

 purative catarrh, and seldom accurately made out ; the 

 end being paralysis, the result of abscess. Under these 

 circumstances, treatment is of no avail. 



Epilepsy. — The exact causes of this affection are not 

 the same in all cases. Sometimes it depends upon evident 

 disease of the brain substance, in others there are no 

 evidences of such, when it is thought there may be some 

 remote interference with the flow of blood to the brain, 

 which is the foundation of degeneration of nerve or 

 cerebral tissue. The affection is known by suddenness 

 of attack. A horse in apparent health while walking or 

 standing suddenly shakes his head, throwing it upward 

 and backward, and falls insensible in a state of tetanic 

 convulsions, during which the urine and faeces are voided 

 involuntarily. Usually strabismus, or squinting, is present. 

 Partial sweats occur, the pulse is frequent and hard, and 

 the breathing becomes stertorous. The recovery from 

 the attack is usually speedy. 



Treatment. — If worms are present use turpentine with 

 linseed oil, and follow with mineral tonics. Pay atten- 

 tion to the teeth in young animals, or lance the gums to 

 hasten dentition. Use extract of belladonna or hyos- 

 cyamus with nitrate of potash, if any irritation of the 

 brain or spinal medulla is suspected. A moderate pur- 

 gative is always beneficial, followed at the right time by 

 mineral and vegetable tonics. 



Chorea. — The equine form of this disease is known 

 as stringhalt, characterised by a rapid elevation of one of 

 the hind limbs in progression, &c, the fetlock sometimes 

 actually touching the abdomen. This abnormal action 

 is, however, variable under differing circumstances, and 

 occasionally the disease is attended with twitchings of 

 the muscles of the face, neck, and fore-limbs. Two other 

 forms of chorea are also common to the horse. One is 



