TTJENSIDE. 327 



If the tetanic spasm affects the muscles of the jaw, the state is 

 called " lock-jaw." When it seizes on all muscles of the back, the 

 body is drawn into a bow, the head being brought in close prox- 

 imity to the tail. Sometimes the contraction is of one side only, 

 and at others of the muscles of the belly, producing a bow in the 

 opposite direction to that alluded to above. These various condi- 

 tions exactly resemble the contractions produced by the poison of 

 strychnine. When, therefore, they occur, as the disease is extremely 

 rare, it is fair to suspect that poison has been used. Nevertheless, 

 it should be known that they were witnessed long before this poi- 

 son was in use ; and, therefore, they may arise independently of it. 

 The successful treatment of tetanus is hopeless, if the case i? 

 clearly established. Purgatives and bleeding may be tried, foL 

 lowed by chloroform, which will always relieve the spasm for the 

 time ; but, as it returns soon after the withdrawal of the remedy, 

 no permanent good is likely to accrue from its use. Except in the 

 case of highly valued dogs, I should never advise any remedies be- 

 ing tried ; the humane course is to at once put the poor animal out 

 of misery, the spasms being evidently of the most painful nature. 



TURNSIDE. 



Turnside is more frequently seen in the dog than tetanus, stilj 

 it is by no means common. It consists in some obscure affection, 

 of the brain, resembling the " gid " of sheep, and probably result* 

 from the same cause. The dog has no fits, but keeps continually 

 turning round and round, until death ensues from exhaustion. 

 Tetanus is more commonly met with in high-bred puppies, whose 

 constitutions are delicate; I have known a whole litter carried off, 

 one after the other by the malady. No remedy to my knowledge 

 is of any avail ; bleeding, blistering, and purgatives are said to 

 have restored some few cases. The seton, also, has been recom- 

 mended, and is, in my opinion, more likely than any other remedy 



