OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 243 



first an unsteady gait behind, especially if the animal turns 

 quickly. If the disease originates in the cord, then the lesion 

 seems to be confined to the hind limbs ; if in the cerebellum, then 

 the animal is wabbly both before and behind. The eyes squint, 

 which is particular evidence of sclerosis of the cerebellum. If 

 the lesion is in the cerebellum the animal will walk in a circle 

 and the more severe the lesion, the smaller the circle he will 

 walk in. The paralysis increases continually and usually the 

 symptoms are increased also. In an acute case the muscles of 

 the hind parts waste. The inclination to throw the weight upon 

 the fore limbs on account of the increasing paralysis causes the 

 muscles of the hind limbs to be inactive and therefore to waste 

 away. 



In the horse we have no evidence of acute pain ; in the hu- 

 man it is said that there are pains in the legs at times. 



Treatment. — There is no treatment that will cure the dis- 

 ease and the prognosis must therefore be unfavorable. If you 

 give strychnine, electricity, bromine, iodine, iron or arsenic and 

 Hberal diet with gentle exercise, this course of treatment will 

 prolong life. 



TETANUS. 



Tetanus is a continuous tonic spasm of the muscles of the 

 body. Usually the voluntary muscles are the ones involved, but 

 the involuntary muscles may be involved also. 



Etiology. — The bacillus Nicolaier is the specific cause. This 

 germ was discovered in 1884. Nicolaier found the germ in the 

 earth and introduced it into animals and produced tetanus. The 

 germ i« drumstick-shaped carrying its spore in the big end. It 

 lives in the dirt everywhere and it is anaerobic. For this reason 

 the disease will result from small wounds which easily close up 

 more readily than large wounds that are open and exposed to 

 the air. The germ will not grow where there is free access of 

 oxygen. More than one-half of the tetanus cases come from 

 small nail pricks that hardly lame the animal. All animals aVe 

 subject to it but the horse, perhaps more than others. Dift'erent 

 parts of the body are affected. When the whole body is affected 



