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or clironic cases, the walls of the abscesses are generally liued with a 

 strong membrane, often having the appearance of a sac or cyst, and the 

 contents have a very offensive odor. 



Treatment. — In all acute attacks of inflammation involving the mem- 

 branes or cerebral masses, it is the pressure from the distended and 

 engorged blood-vessels, and the rapid accumulation of inflammatory 

 products, that endangers the life of the animal in even the very early 

 stage of the disease. The earlier the treatment is commenced to lessen 

 the danger of fatal pressure from the engorged blood-vessels, the less 

 amount of inflammatory products and effusion we have to contend with 

 later on. The leading object then to be accomplished in the treatment 

 of the first stages of encephalitis, meningitis, or cerebritis is to relieve 

 the engorgement of the blood-vessels before a dangerous degree of effu- 

 sion or exudation has taken place, and thereby lessen the irritation or 

 excitability of the affected structures. If we fully succeed in this stage 

 in the accomplishment of this object, we certainly prevent a second 

 stage of the disease, and it will only be required to continue a treat- 

 ment which will tend to lessen irritability to prevent a second engorge- 

 ment from taking place. But if the attempt to relieve the engorgement 

 in the first stage has been only partially successful, and the second 

 stage with its inflammatory products and exudations, whether serous 

 or plastic, has set in, then the main objects in further treatment are to 

 keep up the strength of the animal and hasten the absorption of the 

 exudative producis as much as possible. To obtain these results, when 

 the animal is found in the initial stage of the disease, where there is 

 unnatural excitability or stupor with increase of temperature and quick- 

 ened pulse, we must rely upon the safest and quickest acting remedy 

 at hand, which is copious bleeding from the jugular vein. Especially 

 in acute meningitis, bleeding is imperatively demanded. The finger 

 should be kept on the pulse, and the blood allowed to flow until there 

 is a marked fluttering or softening of the pulse. As soon as the animal 

 recovers somewhat from the shock of the bleeding, the following medi- 

 cine should be made into a ball or dissolved in a pint of warm water, 

 and be given at one dose : Barbadoes aloes, 7 drams ; calomel, 2 drams ; 

 powdered ginger, 1 dram; tincture of aconite, 20 drops. 



The animal should be placed in a cool, dark place, as free from noise 

 as possible, and cloths wrung out of hot water placed on his head. 

 These should be renewed frequently for at least twelve hours. When 

 the animal becomes thirsty half an ounce of saltpeter may be dissolved 

 in his drinking water every six hours. Injections of warm water into 

 the rectum may facilitate the action of the purgative. Norwood's tinct- 

 ure of veratrum viride, in 20 drop doses, should be given every hour, 

 and one dram of solid extract of belladonna every four hours, until 

 the symptoms become modified and the pulse regular and full. 



If this treatment fails to give relief the disease will pass into the ad- 

 vanced stages, or if the animal has been neglected in the early stages 



