246 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



The following Is a good prescription : 



Gelsemium Fl. Ex 1 ounce 



Lobelia, Fl. Ex 1 ounce 



Belladonna Fl. Ex 1 ounce 



Aqua ad qs 8 ounces 



Give one ounce every 3-4 hours. 



If possible give per mouth; but if there is much trismus, 

 dilute it and give per rectum. If administered this way let it 

 be about blood heat. A hypodermic of 4 grains of morphine 

 three or four times a day is good with this prescription. 



The post mortem shows very few lesions. 



CHOREA. 



Chorea is convulsions of the voluntary muscles and it is most 

 common in dogs. In the dog it occurs oftener in the legs while 

 in the horse it is seen most often in the neck and hind quarters. 

 In the horse it seems to arise as an original lesion while in the 

 dog and in the human it usually follows some other disease. In 

 the horse it may come on suddenly from indigestion, particularly 

 that which arises from over-feeding. In dogs and children it 

 may occur from worms in the intestines. In all these cases there 

 is an increased irritability of the nerves. In the dog it is often 

 seen in a fatal form as a complication in distemper. 



Scniciology. — The disease comes on suddenly, especially In a 

 case of distemper in the dog. The disease often attacks a fore- 

 leg which will be lame for a day or two before any jerking be- 

 gins. If you make the animal step on the affected leg by taking 

 the other up, he will go down and when there is jerking In It he 

 cannot bear any weight upon it at all. The condition rapidly 

 spreads to the whole body and the animal finally dies from ex- 

 haustion. During these attacks the dog will whine, particularly 

 if alone. There probably is not much acute pain, only general 

 distress. The jerking may be continuous night and day. Event- 

 ually the animal becomes emaciated, especially the dog. 



Some think that the disease Is transmissible, so much so that 

 animals thus affected are condemned for breeding purposes. At 

 any rate the offspring of choreic stallions are liable to have the 

 disease. Horsemen call it sjiivers. In the stall the horse will 



