TETANUS. 531 



susceptible to the action of antiseptics, they cannot become virulent 

 under ordinary circumstances, unless they are accompanied by 

 certain bacteria, which can be easily destroyed or rendered inert by 

 an antiseptic. Here, the indirect action of the antiseptic employed 

 is of paramount importance. 



We should remember that any person who has been attending 

 a case of tetanus, will be liable to infect the wound of an other- 

 wise healthy horse, if he touches it, unless he has taken the pre- 

 caution to render his hands and instruments perfectly clean (p. 70) 

 There is ample evidence to prove that tetanus has been frequently 

 transmitted to animals with fatal effect by ignorant or careless 

 men in this manner. 



TREATMENT. — The treatment of tetanus, after the symptoms 

 have become manifest, has been up to the present, eminently un- 

 successful in lessening the mortality from this terrible disease. If 

 the patient has received a comparatively small dose of the poison, he 

 will recover in all probability; if a large one, he will die, despite 

 every effort of the veterinary surgeon. The injection of immune 

 serum is usually made into the jugular vein (p. 636) every two or 

 three days in doses of 20 €ubic centimetres (about /q- oz.). The 

 injection of serum into the brain is a complicated operation which 

 is well described by Carougeau. 



Naturally, the first thing to do is to try to destroy any of the ex- 

 citing poison or germs which we can reach. Hence, if we can find 

 the wound through which the attack has been made, we should open 

 it out, and destroy its surface by means of the knife, the firing iron, 

 or caustics. Its thorough disinfection by means of undiluted car- 

 bolic acid ; a solution of 40 grains of chloride of zinc to the ounce 

 of water; or lunar caustic will be advisable. As the spasms of 

 tetanus cause intense pain and exhaustion, we should do everything 

 we can to soothe the animal and to keep up his strength. Owing 

 to the long continuance of the disease, medicines are of little 

 use ; quietude being the chief consideration. If possible the 

 patient should at once be put into slings, not alone to afford 

 him rest, but also to prevent him from getting down, in which 

 event the excitement brought on by struggling to get up again will 

 probably lead to a fatal termination of the disease. The horse 

 should have a plentiful supply of nutritious gruel, milk, and 

 hard-boiled eggs mashed up either in the gruel or milk, which 

 he can suck up even when he cannot chew his food. The best 

 soothing medicine to give is chloral hydrate (p. 604) 2 oz. of 

 which may be given during the day in a liquid mash. Cargoureau 

 advises 3J oz. of it daily in enemas (p. 632). 



34* 



