185 



series of automatic movements in his delirium, such as trotting or walk- 

 ing, and if loose in a stall will move around in a circle persistently. 

 Early and persistent constipation of the bowels is a marked symptom 

 in nearly all acute affections of the brain ; retention of the urine, also, 

 IS frequently observed. 



Chronic encephalitis. — This may succeed the acute stage, or may be 

 due to stable miasma, blood-poison, narcotism, lead-poisoniug, etc. 

 Contrary to acute encephalitis, this form is not characterized in its ini- 

 tial stages by excitability, quick and hard pulse, and high fever. The 

 animal appears at first stupid; eats slowly; the pupil of the eye does 

 not respond to light quickly; the animal often throws up his head or 

 shakes it as if siifiering sudden twinges of pain. He is slow and slug- 

 gish in his movements, or there may be partial paralysis of one limb, 

 one side of the face, neck, or body. These symptoms, with some varia- 

 tions, may be present for several days and then subside, or the disease 

 may pass into the acute stage and terminate fatally. Chronic encepha,- 

 litis may affect an animal for ten days or two weeks without much var- 

 iation in the symptoms before the crisis is reached. If improvement 

 commences the symptoms usually disappear in the reverse order in 

 which they developed with the exception of the paralytic effects, which 

 remain intractible or permanent. Paralysis of certain sets of muscles 

 is a very common result of chronic, subacute, and acute encephalitis, 

 and is due to softening of the brain, or to exudation into the cavities 

 of the brain or arachnoid space. 



MENINaiTIS — THE MAD STAGGERS OF THE OLD WRITERS — INFLAM- 

 MATION OF THE CEREBRAL ENVELOPES. 



Causes. — Excess of heat or cold, wounds of the cranium and mem- 

 branes, rheumatism, influenza, rupture of meningeal blood-vessels, etc. 



Symptoms. — In an attack of acute meningitis the symptoms appear 

 very suddenly and are often extremely violent. The violent pain in the 

 head is indicated by the animal flying back in the halter, plunging for- 

 ward or running ahead, regardless of obstacles or obstructions in the 

 way. The pulse is very rapid, the breathing accelerated or panting, 

 the pupils of the eyes contracted, and the muscles of the body quiver- 

 ing. All these symptoms may develop within a few minutes or in a 

 few hours. If the animal does not obtain relief, spasms or rigidity of 

 the muscles along one or both sides of the neck or back will become 

 manifest, the head will be held elevated, the eyeballs will retract 

 into their sockets, the eye-lids twitch, convulsions and furious delirium 

 will soon appear, followed by coma and death. Acute meningitis 

 may result fatally in a very few hours. During the whole course of the 

 disease the more violent symptoms occur in paroxysms, and the least 

 noise or disturbance serves to induce them. In the quiescent periods 

 the animal appears dull and drowsy. The urine is frequently ejected 

 in spurts and strong efforts are made to pass manure. In subacute 



