240 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



holic drinks. The disease is in reality nothing more than cere- 

 bral degeneration. 



The symptoms are very marked but require close observation 

 to detect them. The horse is more or less stupid and seems to 

 lack ambition and often staggers. IMild excitement will arouse 

 him for a time and you must look out for this in examining a 

 horse for soundness. The animal looks stupid, will stub his toes 

 after being backed out of the stall. His ears may be moving back 

 and forth and his face lacks expression. To tell a dummy just 

 observe him as he backs out of a stall or. turns around in it. 

 He lacks complete power of co-ordination. Staggers and wab- 

 bles a little. Cross his feet and they will stay there. Put your 

 finger in his ear and he will not resist. The treatment is useless. 

 The real ''dummy," is due to cerebral softening or chronic dropsy 

 of the lateral ventricles. 



Myelitis. — This disease is inflammation of the spinal cord. 

 The meninges are usually involved. The causes are violence in 

 the form of external injuries, disease of the bones of the verte- 

 bra, and exposure to dampness and extremes of temperature. 

 It often comes on without any appreciable cause. 



Scmciology. — When the meninges of the cord are first af- 

 fected, the first symptoms will be tonic spasms of the limbs, 

 usually the hind ones. This is probably because it affects the 

 loins first and then extends forward. The spasms are often so 

 severe as to jerk the horse off his feet and throw him down. 

 He stamps spasmodically and involuntarily. If the cord itself 

 is first affected there is an absence of these spasms and instead 

 there is a loss of motor power. You will notice that the hocks 

 dip into each other, the toes will turn out, the gait will be wab- 

 bly, — no spasm and no delirium. The motor paralysis increases 

 so that finally the animal cannot move without falling; if he 

 does not move, he will stand braced from twenty-four to forty- 

 eight hours. While lying his expression is haggard and he looks 

 in great distress. 



In chronic spinal meningitis the animal is very excitable, the 

 least bit of excitement affecting him. He will also manifest 

 nervous twitching. 



Paresis. — This disease is ordinarily spoken of as paralysis 



