170 SPECIAL EQUINE THERAPY 



The horse shows no sign of pain, but soon, in two or 

 three hours, signs of exhaustion appear. The patient 

 perspires freely, the respirations are rapid and shallow, 

 the pulse is almost imperceptible. If it can yet be counted 

 by feeling over the course of an artery, the beats may 

 register sixty to seventy per minute. 



The temperature usually stands near 103° F., although 

 in some cases it is somewhat higher. If the case is not 

 now taken in hand and given proper treatment, the 

 animal soon succumbs. The facial expression becomes 

 drowsy. Shifting of the weight from side to side f oUows ; 

 there occur a few plunges or awkward straddling move- 

 ments; the animal falls or clumsily lies down and death 

 comes quickly. Autopsy shows an empty, slightly con- 

 gested alimentary tract; nothing else. 



I have known cases of this disease to run their com- 

 plete course, from first symptom to death, in so short 

 a period of time as four hours. However, I have never 

 known one to die, not even of the most severe form, when 

 proper treatment was given during the early hours of the 

 illness. Mild cases will recover without any treatment, 

 but evidences of the disease remain for weeks in the 

 form of inappetence, drowsiness, loss of weight, and in 

 some instances edematous swellings affecting the limbs, 

 head, etc. Even severe cases recover more completely 

 under proper treatment than mild cases do if not treated. 

 Furthermore, it is impossible to teU in the beginning of 

 an attack how violent or severe the affection will become. 

 The symptoms may improve spontaneously within a few 

 hours; on the other hand another few hours may mark 

 the death of the subject. It is therefore imperative that 

 all eases be promptly treated. 



The diagnosis hinges on the history, namely, sudden 

 and rapidly increasing diarrhoea without a sign of pre- 

 vious illness, change of feed or other evident etiological 



