Diseases of the Nervous System. 343 



It is remarkable that it rarely occurs until wounds are 

 weU advanced in healing. In lambs it has been observed 

 in connection with overfeeding of the ewes on trefoil, 

 grain, etc., as well as from exposure. 



Symptoms. General stiffness ; hardness of the affected 

 muscles ; protrusion of the haw, from the inner angle o( 

 the eye, over the ball, becoming more marked if the 

 animal is excited, as by jerking up the head ; in the worst 

 cases the head is elevated and carried stiffly, the tail 

 raised and trembling ; the legs directed shghtly outward 

 like four immovable posts, and ia walking are lifted almost 

 without bending; the animal cannot He down, or if he 

 gets down, rouses the spasms fatally in his struggles to 

 rise ; the bowels are always torpid ; the breathing is 

 excited and in bad cases stertorous; and though the 

 spasms never give way they occur in paroxysms, which are 

 easily roused by movement, the presence of strangers, 

 loud talking, banging of doors, rustling of straw or any 

 other noise or commotion. It usually proves fatal by the 

 cramps of the muscles of the throat (larynx) and chest. 



Treatment. Secure perfect quiet ia a dark box, safely 

 locked from curious observers; place slings beneath the 

 patient so that he can stand clear of them or rest in them 

 at will ; remove straw or other source of excitement ; feed 

 very soft bran mashes or thick gruels, from such a level as 

 does not require any dropping of the head to reach them ; 

 give a strong dose of purgative medicine (horse, aloes ; 

 sheep, ox, sulphate of soda or magnesia; swine, dog, 

 castor-oil), following this up by antispasmodics thrice daily 

 (belladonna, prussic acid, chloral-hydrate, lobelia, tobacco, 

 physostigma, etc.), or these may be given by injection, or 

 cliloroform, ether, or nitrite of amjl by inhalation. If it 

 does not excite the animal too much, give a steam bath, 

 or a thorough perspiration with hot rugs, covered with 

 dry ones. The bowels must be kept open by small 

 doses of powdered croton seeds or podophylhn mixed 

 with solid extract of belladonna and smeared on the back 



