384. INFLAMMATIONS. 
TETANUS. 
Resembling rabies in. some degree, tetanus differs from it in the 
absence of any affection of the brain, the senses remaining perfect, 
to the last.. It is not common with thé dog, and when it does. 
manifest itself, is generally produced by a severe injury, and shows 
itself in the form known as “lock-jaw.” Hence in France it is 
known as mal de cerf, from its supervening upon wounds from the 
horns of that animal. It consists in spasmodic rigidity of certain’ 
muscles, alternately with relaxation, but the stiffness continuing 
for some length of time, and not appearing and disappearirig as 
quickly as in cramp. If the tetanic spasm affects the muscles of 
the jaw, the state is called “lock-jaw.’ When it seizes on all the 
muscles of the back the body is drawn into a bow, the head being 
brought nearly close to the tail. Sometimes the contraction is of 
one side only, and at others of the muscles of the belly, producing ’a 
bow in the opposite direction to that alluded to above. These various 
conditions exactly resemble the contractions produced by the poison 
of strychnine ; so that when they occur, as the disease is extremely 
rare, it is fair to suspect that poison has been used. Nevertheless, 
it should be known that they were witnessed long before this poison 
was in use; and, therefore, they may ‘arise independently of it. 
The successful treatment of tetanus is a hopeless affair if the case is 
clearly established. _Purgatives and bleeding may be tried, followed 
by chloroform, which will always relieve the spasm for the time; but 
as it returns soon after the withdrawal of the remedy, no good is likely 
to accrue from its use. Excepting in the case of very valuable or 
highly valued dogs, I should never advise any remedies being tried, 
and the most humane course is at once to-put the poor animal out 
of his misery, the spasms being evidently of a most painful nature. 
TURNSIDE 
Is more frequently seen. in the dog than tetanus, but nevertheless 
is by no means common. It consists in someobscure affection of 
the brain, resembling the “gid” of sheep, and most probably pro- 
duced from the same cause, namely, from the presence of a hydatid. 
«See Worms, Chap. V.) The dog has no fit, but keeps.continually 
turning round and round, and at last dies worn out... It is most 
