80 KENNEL DISEASES. 
Very rarely indeed does the tongue suffer from chronic inflammation or glos- 
sitis, and in nearly all, if not quite all, cases of it, the trouble is largely or wholly 
the consequence of inability to close the mouth, as after fracture of the jaw and 
faulty adjustment of the broken ends of the bone. The tongue is then habitu- 
ally quite dry, and its surface somewhat uneven and furrowed. There are on it 
also, between the furrows, patches of various size that are smooth and shiny. 
PARALYSIS OF THE TONGUE. 
Paralysis of the tongue without loss of power elsewhere is rare; but since it 
occurs, attention should be drawn to it, because when of considerable extent its 
innocent victims present really the most prominent sign of dumb rabies. More- 
over, the impairment is very depressing, and perverting the disposition of un- 
fortunates, it generally causes them in time to become dispirited, dull and sullen. 
Thus they are made to even more closely resemble sufferers from rabies. With 
only one-half of the tongue paralyzed, as is sometimes the case, it is carried 
to one side; but the loss being bilateral, — that is, on both sides, —it is always 
protruding ; and, constantly exposed to the air, it becomes dry and hard, also 
accumulates dirt, stray bits of wood, straw, etc. 
As a rule, the paralysis is due to some local change in structure, hence a cure 
is impossible ; and the outlook is equally unfavorable if it has existed more than 
a month and a gain under treatment has not taken place, for then the integrity of 
the affected muscles or nerves has become permanently injured. 
The only remedy which promises well is strychnia; yet rarely will that even 
have any notable effect. 
BLAIN. 
Blain is an acute affection of the tongue which is quite closely identified 
with, but not wholly confined to, horses and cattle, for now and then, but not 
often, it occurs in dogs. It is characterized by quite a severe inflammation of 
the tongue and an eruption of blisters on its sides and under surface. The blis- 
ters, or properly vesicles, which are bright red in color, remain as such for seve- 
ral days, then rupture and ulcers form in their places. These enlarge, tend to 
become indolent, or even gangrenous; and in time they discharge a purulent 
bloody matter that has a peculiar and very disagreeable odor. The flow of 
saliva and mucus is profuse. In some instances the tissues forming the floor of 
the mouth are involved and abscesses form there. Often also the glands of the 
neck are enlarged and painful. 
