213 



Treatment. — Hot-water applications to tlie spine, one-dram doses' 

 fluid extract of belladonna repeated every four hours, and tincture of 

 aconite root 20 drops every hour until the symptoms become amelio- 

 rated. If no inflammatory products occur the animal is likely to 

 recover. 



SPINAL ANEMIA. 



This may be caused by extreme cold, exhausting diseases, spinal 

 embolism or plugging of a spinal blood-vessel, an interference with the 

 circulation through the abdominal aorta, from compression, throm- 

 bosis, or aneurism of that vessel; tlie spinal vessels may be caused to 

 contract through vaso-motor influence, a result of ijeripheral irritation 

 of some nerve. 



Symptoms. — Spinal anaemia causes paralysis of the muscles iised 

 in extending the limbs. When the bladder is affected it precedes 

 the weakness of motion, while in spinal congestion it follows, and 

 increased sensibility, in place of diminished sensibility, as in si)inal 

 congestion, is observed. Pressure along the spine causes excessive 

 pain. 



Trecdrnent. — If the exciting cause can be removed the animal 

 recovers; if this fails, the spinal cord may undergo softening. 



SPINAL COMPRESSION. 



When caused by tumors or otherwise when pressure is slight, it 

 produces a paral3'Sis of the muscles used in extending a limb and con- 

 traction of those which flex it. When compression is great it causes 

 comiDlete loss of sensibility and motion posterior to the compressed 

 part of the cord. 



Compression of a lateral half of the cord produces motor paralysis, 

 disturbance in the circulation, and difficulty of movement, an increased 

 sensibility on the side corres]3onding to the compressed section, and a 

 diminished sensibility and some paralysis on the opposite side. 



Treatment. — When it occurs as a sequence of a j) receding inflam- 

 matory disease, iodide of potassa and general tonics are indicated. 

 When due to tumors growing Avithin the spinal canal, or to pressure 

 from displaced bone, no form of treatment will result in any benefit. 



SPINAL HEMORRHAGE. 



This may occur from changes in the wall of the blood-vessels, in 

 connection with tumors, acute myelitis, traumatic injuries, etc. The 

 blood may escape througli the pia mater into the sub-arachnoid cav- 

 ity, and large clots be formed. 



Symptoms. — The s^nnptoms are largely dependent upon the seat 

 and extent of the hemorrhage, as they are principally due to the 

 compression of the cord. A large clot may j)rqduce sudden ijarajilegia 

 accompanied by severe pain along the spine; usually, however, the 

 paralysis of both motion and sensation is not very marked at first; 



