148 TETANUS, OE LOCKED JAW. 



The countenance is eager, anxious, haggard, and tells plainly enough what the 

 animal suffers. 



The stiffness gradually extends to the hack. If the horse is in a narrow stall, 

 it is impossible to turn him ; and, even with room and scope enough, he turns 

 altogether like a deal-board. 



The extremities begin to participate in the spasm— the hinder ones generally 

 first, but never to the extent to which it exists in the neck and back. 

 The horse stands with his hind legs straddling apart in a singular way. 

 The whole of the limb moves, or rather is dragged on, together, and anxious 

 care is taken that no joint shall be flexed more than can possibly be helped. 

 The fore limbs have a singular appearance ; they are as stiff as they can pos- 

 sibly be, but stretched forward and straddling. They have not unaptly been 

 compared to the legs of a form. 



The abdominal muscles gradually become involved. They seem to contract 

 with all the power they possess, and there is a degree of "hide-bound" 

 appearance, and of tucking up of the belly, which is seen under no other com- 

 plaint. The tail becomes in constant motion from the alternate and violent 

 action of the muscles that elevate and depress it. 



Constipation, and to an almost insurmountable degree, now appears. The 

 abdominal muscles are so powerfully contracted, that no portion of the contents 

 of the abdomen can pass on and be discharged. 



By degrees the spasm extends and becomes everywhere more violent. The 

 motion of the whole frame is lost, and the horse stands fixed in the unnatural 

 posture which he has assumed. The countenance becomes wilder and more 

 haggard — its expression can never be effaced from the memory of him who 

 cares about the feelings of a brute. The violent cramp of a single muscle, or 

 set of muscles, makes the stoutest heart quail, and draws forth the most piteous 

 cries — what, then, must it be for this torture to pervade the whole frame, and 

 to continue, with little respite, from day to day, and from week to week. When 

 his attendant approaches and touches him, he scarcely moves ; but the despair- 

 ing gaze, and the sudden acceleration of the pulse, indicate what he feels and 

 fears. 



Tetanus then is evidently an affection of the nerves. A small fibre of 

 some nerve has been injured, and the effect of that injury has spread to the 

 origin of the nerve — the brain then becomes affected — and universal diseased 

 action follows. Tetanus is spasm of the whole frame — not merely of one set 

 of muscles, but of their antagonists also. The fixidity of the animal is the 

 effect of opposed and violent muscular contraction. It belongs to the lower 

 column of nerves only. The sensibility is unimpaired — perhaps it is height- 

 ened. The horse would eat if he could ; he tries to suck up some moisture 

 from his mash ; and the avidity with which he lends himself to assist in the 

 administering of a little gruel, shows that the feelings of hunger and thirst remain 

 unimpaired. 



If the disease terminates fatally, it is usually from the sixth to the eighth day, 

 when, if there has been no remission of the spasms, or only a slight one, the 

 horse dies exhausted by hard work. The task extorted by the whip and spur 

 of the most brutal sportsman is not to be compared with it. 



About or a little before this time, there are occasionally evident remissions. 

 The spasm does not quite subside, but its force is materially lessened. The jaw 

 is not sufficiently relaxed to enable the animal to eat or to drink, or for ad- 

 vantage to be taken of an opportunity for the administration of medicine, while 

 the slightest disturbance or fright, recalls the spasmodic action with all its 

 violence. If, however, the remission returns on the following day, and is a little 

 lengthened, and particularly if there is more relaxation of the lower jaw, there 



