TETANUS. 131 



principle of counter-irritation a great deal further — 

 they have blistered almost the whole of the sides and 

 the belly. They have by this means excited such 

 extensive inflammation of the skin, that the original 

 affection of the spinal cord has occasionally dis- 

 appeared. Setons also have been inserted along the 

 course of the spine ; but they have rarely been pro- 

 ductive of decided good effect. In order to produce 

 more determination of blood to the skin, and thus re- 

 lieve the spinal inflammation, sheep-skins, applied 

 warm, should be placed on the horse's back ; reaching 

 from the poll to the tail, and these should be changed 

 as often as they become offensive. 



Another way of treating the disease locally is, to 

 find out the injured part from which the mischief has 

 proceeded. Some nervous fibre may be compressed 

 there : — a few deep incisions across the wound may 

 liberate it. Upon the chance of some morbid action 

 within the wound having produced this sad affection 

 of the nerves, the cautery, or the caustic, has been 

 applied ; and rarely, though occasionally, such irrita- 

 tion is said to have been cured. If the disease is from 

 docking, another of the caudal vertebrae has been 

 removed ; if from nicking, the incision has been made 

 deeper ; or another wound closer to the root of the 

 tail has been incised. 



In many cases, however, there may not appear to 

 have been any local injury; but exposure to cold; 

 the dripping of water on the back ; indigestible food ; 

 or various diseases, are imagined to have produced 

 tetanus ; and then general means alone can be adopted. 



The physic having begun to work, or having been 

 g 6 



