STAGGERS 139 



coarsely set on are more liable to it than others ; and 

 this fact alone, therefore, tends to show that it is of the 

 first importance that everything in the way of harness, 

 the collar and headstall especially, should fit very 

 perfectly and easily. The headstall requires special 

 care and attention, for whilst it is requisite that all its 

 several parts should fit easily, it is also necessary that 

 it should fit well and be well fitted on, as otherwise, in 

 the struggling and shaking of the head, peculiar to an 

 attack of this complaint, it may be possibly shaken off. 



Staggers is a disease very closely allied to the fore- 

 going, inasmuch as it is an affection of the brain. 

 This complaint may be classified under two heads — 

 viz., what is termed 'mad staggers,' and that which is 

 termed 'sleepy staggers.' In the former case the 

 disease may arise from several causes, either an over- 

 loaded stomach and consequent severe indigestion, 

 from a blow, from sunstroke, or from an abscess on 

 the brain, etc. The first-named cause is, however, 

 that which is the most frequent. 



In the second named phase of the disease, sleepy 

 staggers, the cause is most generally indigestion, or 

 rather, I should say, plethora induced by indigestion. 



In either case the treatment required is very much 

 the same, and consists in the administration of some 

 strong purgative medicine, which must be repeated if 

 the first dose is not powerful enough to take effect. 

 In extreme cases bleeding may be resorted to ; and if, 

 as may be the case in mad staggers, it is impossible to 

 administer physic, there is no alternative but to bleed. 

 Mad staggers may possibly follow an attack of sleepy 

 staggers, unless the latter can be effectually treated in 

 time to prevent such a contingency occurring. 



