Diseases of the Nervous System. 277 



guard as much aspossibleagainst secondary or inflammatory 

 symptoms, which, should they arise, are to be treated as 

 previously described. 



HYDROCEPHALUS. 



Hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, is by no means an 

 unfrequent canine affection. It is invariably congenital, 

 and is more particularly seen in high-bred dogs, and es- 

 pecially where the in-and-in system of breeding has been 

 adopted. Several instances have come under my own ob- 

 servation, attributable, in my opinion, to the latter cause. 

 In one or two cases absolute idiotcy existed : the animals 

 performing absurd motions, and alike regardless of petting 

 or scolding. They were diminutive black-and-tan toys, and, 

 if I may be allowed the expression, were " bred to death : " 

 destitute of hair on the ears and skull, the latter unsightly 

 large ; the eyes painfully prominent and expressionless ; 

 the body deficient in symmetry, and the limbs distorted. 

 And some of the defects named were considered by the 

 creatures' owners as indications of the purity of the strain ; 

 and animals of this type are kept, regardless of entreaties 

 to destroy such insults to nature, for purposes of breeding. 

 Fortunately, however, nature rarely sanctions issue from 

 such parents. 



Symptoms. — In addition to those I have named, paralysis 

 is very frequently present, usually in the hind-limbs, which, 

 in locomotion, are dragged after the animal. There is also 

 often a great disposition to sleep ; but it is generally dis- 

 turbed by fitful starts and suppressed moans, and the eye- 

 lids during that period are only partially closed. 



Treatment. — I have no remarks to offer on the treatment 

 of caninehydrocephalus, beyond observing that the measures 

 adopted in human practice — 'Compression, puncturing, and 

 the various medical agents — might be tried, and possibly 



