102 DISEASES OF THE GREYHOUND. 



is also peculiarly prone to attack some breeds, most probably from 

 some mismanagement of the original stock, either in breeding or 

 rearing them. Sometimes the mischief can be traced to a blow on 

 the head, occasioning even a fracture and depression of the skull, 

 but this is not often the case, and has been remedied by trephining 

 in one or two instances. 



DIAGNOSIS. Epilepsy can only be confounded with hydrophobia 

 by ignorant people, and may easily be distinguished by the sudden- 

 ness of the attack, by the champing and foaming, with blueness 

 of the mouth, and by the speedy recovery. It may also be known 

 from chorea by the loss of sensibility during the fit, and by the 

 entire remission of symptoms during the intervals. 



PROGNOSIS. If the cause can easily be traced and removed, the 

 disease will generally disappear, but in the cerebral epilepsy the 

 chances are very great against an entire recovery. In the course 

 of years the cause seems to disappear in some cases, or the con- 

 stitution to be so accustomed to it as to bear its presence with 

 impunity at all events the fits gradually disappear, and we can 

 only conjecture the reason. Anatomy reveals no alteration of 

 structure, and therefore it is impossible to detect the exact reason 

 why such an amelioration occurs. 



TREATMENT. This should be conducted differently according to 

 circumstances, but, in all cases, the cause, if known, should be 

 removed. In distemper, I have already said that epilepsy may be 

 disregarded, except as a symptom of mischief in the brain ; in all 

 other cases it is well to remove the exciting cause as soon as 

 practicable, by appropriate treatment, as, for instance, in worms, 



