234 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
Cause.—Sudden checking of the perspiration, violent exercise, 
blows, and falls. 
Symptoms.—The symptoms may vary somewhat with each case, 
and closely resemble the first symptoms of spinal meningitis, spinal 
tumors, and myelitis. First, some disturbance in movement, lower- 
ing the temperature, and partial loss of sensibility posterior to the 
seat of the congestion. If in the cervical region, it may cause inter- 
ference in breathing and the action of the heart. When in the region 
of the loins, there may be loss of control of the bladder. When the 
congestion is sufficient to produce compression of the cord, paraplegia 
may be complete. Usually fever, spasms, muscular twitching, or 
muscular rigidity are absent, which will serve to distinguish spinal 
congestion from spinal meningitis. 
Treatment.—Hot-water applications to the spine, 1-dram doses 
fluid extract of belladonna repeated every four hours, and tincture 
of aconite root 20 drops every hour until the symptoms become 
ameliorated. If no inflammatory products occur, the animal is 
likely to recover. 
SPINAL ANEMIA. 
This may be caused by extreme cold, exhausting diseases, spinal 
embolism or plugging of a spinal blood vessel, an interference with 
the circulation through the abdominal aorta, from compression, 
thrombosis, or aneurism of that vessel; the spinal vessels may be 
caused to contract through vasomotor influence, a result of periph- 
eral irritation of some nerve. 
Spinal anemia causes paralysis of the muscles used in extending 
the limbs. When the bladder is affected, it precedes the weakness 
of motion, while in spinal congestion it follows, and increased 
sensibility, in place of diminished sensibility, asin spinal congestion, 
is observed. Pressure along the spine causes excessive pain. 
If the exciting cause can be removed, the animal recovers; if this 
fails, the spinal cord may undergo softening. 
SPINAL COMPRESSION. 
When caused by tumors or otherwise, when pressure is slight, it 
produces a paralysis of the muscles used in extending a limb and 
contraction of those which flex it. When compression is great it 
causes complete loss of sensibilty and motion posterior to the com- 
pressed part of the cord. 
Compression of a lateral half of the cord produces motor paralysis, 
disturbance of the circulation, and difficulty of movement, an in- 
creased sensibility on the side corresponding to the compressed sec- 
tion, and a diminished sensibility and some paralysis on the opposite 
side. 
