SPINAL PARALYSIS OF THE HORSE 263 



inflammation of the external genitals. The penis is swollen, 

 edematous, and protrudes from the prepuce. In mares the 

 external genitals may be swollen and edematous. 



Course.— The course is very varied. The duration of the 

 disease may be from a few days to three months. Con- 

 valescence is slow. The mortality varies from 50 to 100 

 per cent. 



Diagnosis. — The paralytic symptoms with little impairment 

 of sensibility, a good appetite, the swelling of the external 

 genitals, and the enzootic occurrence of the disease are sig- 

 nificant. In sporadic cases only the determination of the 

 streptococci in the blood would furnish tangible evidence of 

 the existei^ce of the disease. From the standpoint of differ- 

 ential diagnosis, infectious spinal paralysis might be confused 

 with azoturia, infectious anemia, sclerostomiasis, and forage 

 poisoning. 



Treatment. — ^Medicinal treatment is of little or no value. 

 It is purely symptomatic. 



Prophylaxis. — ^The food and water should be looked after 

 to see that they are good and pm-e. The administration of 

 antistreptococcic sera to healthy but exposed horses is 

 thought to have a preventive action. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



