1 18 DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



I dashed a basin of cold water in his face, and he dropped as if he had 

 been shot. He lay motionless nearly a minute, and then began to struggle 

 and to bark ; another cup of water was dashed in his face, and he lay quite 

 motionless during two minutes or more. In the mean time I had got a 

 grain each of calomel and tartar emetic, which I put on his tongue, and 

 washed it down with a little water. He began to recover, and again began 

 to yelp, although much softer ; but, in about a quarter of an hour, sickness 

 commenced, and he ceased his noise. He vomited three or four times, and 

 lay frightened and quiet. A physic-ball was given him in the evening, 

 and on the following morning. 



On the next day, the young man put open the door, and sat himself 

 down, and began to prepare the flute ; the dog was out in a moment, 

 and did not return during a couple of hours. On the following day he 

 made his escape again, and so the matter went on ; but, before the expira- 

 tion of the week, his master might play the flute if he pleased. 



TURNSIDE, OR GIDDINESS. 



This is a singular disease prevalent among cattle, but only occasionally 

 seen in the dog. He becomes listless, dull, off his food, and scarcely 

 recognises any surrounding object. He has no fit, but he wanders about 

 the room for several hours at a time, generally or almost invariably in the 

 same direction, and with his head on one side. At first he carefully avoids 

 the objects that are in his way ; but by degrees his mental faculties become 

 impaired ; his sense of vision is confused or lost, and he blunders against 

 everything : in fact, if uninterrupted, he would continue his strange peram- 

 bulation incessantly, until he was fairly worn out and died in con- 

 vulsions. 



I used to consider the complaint to be uniformly fatal. I have resorted 

 to every remedial measure that the case could suggest. I have bled, and 

 physicked, and setoned, and blistered, and used the moxa ; but all without 

 avail, for not in a single case did I save my patient. 



No opportunity of post-mortem examination was lost. In some cases I 

 have found spicula projecting from the inner plate of the skull, and press- 

 ing upon or even penetrating the dura mater. I know not why the dog 

 should be more subject to these irregularities of cranial surface than any 

 of our other patients ; but decidedly he is so, and where they have pressed 

 upon the brain, there has been injection of the membranes, and sometimes 

 effusion between them. 



In some cases I have found effusion without this external pressure, and, 

 in some cases, but comparatively few, there has not been any perceptible 

 lesion. Hydatids have been found in the different passages leading to the 

 cranium, but they have not penetrated. 



I used to recommend that the dog should be destroyed ; but I met with 

 two or three favourable cases, and, after that, 1 determined to try every 

 measure that could possibly be serviceable. I bled, and physicked, and 

 inserted setons, and tried to prevent the utter exhaustion of the animal. 

 When he was unable longer to perform his circumvolutions, and found that 

 he was foiled, he laid himself down, and by degrees resumed his former 

 habits. He was sadly impatient and noisy ; but in a few cases he was 

 cured. 



