TETANUS. 127 



This may be given night and morning for a few 

 days, and then changed for the tonic balls if the 

 animal appears to require more medicine. 



The diaphragm has sometimes been ruptured; which 

 maybe produced by too severe exertion. The symp- 

 toms are often very obscure, but the most frequent 

 are those of severe inflammation of the lungs com- 

 bined with signs of aggravated colic. 



CHAPTER XX. 



TETANUS — LOCKED JAW — AND PALSY. 



Tetanus is spasm of the muscles of voluntary motion : 

 it is called locked jaw, because the muscles of the 

 jaw are generally among the earliest affected. It 

 is rarely preceded by any serious illness ; but usually 

 appears suddenly, the earliest symptoms being mostly 

 discovered when the stable is first entered in the 

 morning. 



There are two kinds of tetanus. To distinguish 

 them, they are called traumatic and idiopathic. 



Traumatic tetanus is caused by wounds. Any 

 injury, however small or great, may produce it; 

 but cuts over the eye, punctures into the foot or 

 tendons, have most frequently been followed by it. 

 When caused by a wound, tetanus is more rapid in 

 its course, more violent in its symptoms, generally 

 being of the most acute kind. Traumatic tetanus is, in 

 fact, rarely relieved. Idiopathic tetanus can be traced 

 to no known cause. It comes on without our being 



G 4 



