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■1 

 Trecdmeni. — Bags filled Avitli ice slioiild be api)lied aloiiu' the spine, 

 to be followed later ou by strong blisters. The fever should be con- 

 trolled as early as possible by giving 20 drops of Norwood's tincture of 

 veratrum viride every hour, iiutil the desired result is obtained. One 

 dram of the fluid extract of belladonna, to control pain and Avascular 

 excitement of the spinal cord, may be given everj^ five or six hours 

 imtil the puiDils of the eyes become pretty well dilated. If the pain 

 is very intense 5 grains of sulphate of morphia should be injected 

 hyijodermically. The animal must be kept as free from excitement 

 as x)ossible. If the urine is retained in the bladder it must be drawn 

 off every four or six hours. In very acute attacks the disease gener- 

 ally proves fatal in a few daj's. If, however, the animal grows better 

 some form of paralysis is ax)t to remain for a long time and the treat- 

 ment will have to be directed then toward a removal of the exudative 

 products and a strengthening of the system and stimulation of the 

 nervous functions. To induce absorption iodide of potassa in 2 dram 

 doses may be given dissolved in the drinking water twice a day. To 

 strengthen the system, iodide of iron 1 dram twice a day and 1 dram 

 of nux vomica once a day \r\ixj be given in the feed. Electricity to 

 the j)aral3'zed and weakened muscles is advisable; the current should 

 be Aveak, but be continued for half an hour two or three times daily. 

 If the disease is due to a broken back, caries of the vertebrse, or some 

 other irremediable cause, the anim;il should ])e destroyed at once. 



MYELITIS — INFLAMMATION OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE SPINAL COED. 



This is a rare disease, except as a secondary result of spinal menin- 

 gitis or injuries to the spine. Poisoning, by lead, arsenic, mercury, 

 phosphorus, carbonic-acid gas, etc., has been known to produce it. 

 Myelitis may be confined to a small sj^ot in the cord or may involve 

 the whole for a variable distance. It may lead to softening, abscess, 

 or degeneration. 



Symptoms. — The attack may begin with a chill ov convulsions; the 

 muscles twitch or become cramped very early in the disease, and the 

 bladder usually is affected in the outset, in which there may be either 

 retention or incontinence of urine. These conditions are followed by 

 complete or partial paralysis of the muscles posterior to the locality 

 of the inflamed cord, and the muscles begin to waste away rapidly. 

 The paralyzed limb becomes cold and dry, due to the suspension of 

 proper circulation; the joints may swell and become (edematous; A'esic- 

 ular eruptions appear on the skin, and frequently gangrenous sloughs 

 form on the paralyzed i^arts. It is exceedingly seldom that recovery 

 takes i)lace. In a few instances it may assume a chronic type, when 

 all the symptoms become mitigated, and thus continue foi- some time 

 nntil septicaemia, pj^semia, or exhaustion causes death. 



Pathology. — The inflammation maj^ involve nearly the whole length 

 of the cord, but generally it is more intense in some places tlian others; 



