DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 219 



loosening of the collar will give immediate relief. The horse should 

 be bled freely from the jugular vein. If due to tumors or abscesses, 

 a surgical operation becomes necessary to afford relief. To revive 

 the animal if it becomes partially or totally unconscious, cold water 

 should be dashed on the head. Give a purge of Glauber's salt. If 

 the limbs are cold, tincture of capsicum or strong mustard water 

 should be applied to them. If symptoms of paralysis remain after 

 two or three days, an active cathartic and iodid of potassium will 

 be indicated, to be given as prescribed for inflammation of the brain. 

 In confirmed cases, treatment is not advisable, as there is consider- 

 able danger to the owner should an attack occur in a crowded street. 

 Prevention, — ^Well-adjusted collar, with strap running from the 

 coUar to the girth, to hold down the collar when pulling upgrade; 

 regular feed and exercise, without allowing the animal to become 

 excessively plethoric; moderate checking, allowing a free-and-easy 

 movement of the head; well- ventilated stabling, proper cleanliness, 

 pure water, etc. 



SUNSTEOECE, HEAT STROKE, OR HEAT EXHAUSTION. 



The term sunstroke is applied to affections occasioned not exclu- 

 sively by exposure to the sun's rays, as the word signifies, but by the 

 action of great heat combined generally with humid atmosphere. 

 Exhaustion produced by long-continued heat is often the essential 

 factor, and is called heat exhaustion. Horses on the race track un- 

 dergoing protracted and severe work in hot weather often succumb 

 to heat exhaustion. Draft horses which do not receive proper care 

 in watering, feeding, and rest in shady places and are exposed for 

 many hours to the direct rays of the sun suffer very frequently from 

 sunstroke. 



Symptoms. — Sunstroke is manifested suddenly. The animal stops, 

 drops his head, begins to stagger, and soon falls to the ground uncon- 

 scious. The breathing is marked with great stertor, the pulse is very 

 slow and irregular, cold sweats break out in patches on the surface 

 of the body, and the animal often dies without having recovered 

 consciousness. 



The temperature becomes very high, reaching 105° to 109° F. 



In heat exhaustion the animal usually requires urging for some 

 time prior to the appearance of any other symptoms, generally 

 perspiration is checked, and then the horse becomes weak in its gait, 

 the breathing hurried or panting, eyes watery or bloodshot, nostrils 

 dilated and highly reddened, assuming a dark, purple color ; the pulse 

 is rapid and weak, the heart bounding, followed by unconsciousness 

 and death. If recovery takes place, convalescence extends over a 

 long period of time, during which incoordination of movement may 

 persist. 



