152 THE CANADIAN HOESB 



few days previous. A horse labouring under this awful 

 disease is one of the most pitiable objects we can look at. 

 He stands with his legs wide apart, like four posts, to sup- 

 port his body ; which, from the head to the tail, is rigid and 

 quivering. The head is protruded, the muzzle and facial 

 muscles contracted, the nostrils open, and the whole expres- 

 sion of the countenance haggard and excited, evincing great 

 suffering. The haw (membrana nictitans) is pushed forward 

 over the eye-ball, which is drawn into the socket, and Quints 

 outward. The jaws in most cases become early closed by 

 the spasm of the masseter muscles ; hence the name " lock- 

 jaw." The neck is very stiff, and the flank drawn up ; the 

 tail is raised and quivering ; he drags bis legs, and straddles 

 very much in walking. The bowels are constipated, the 

 urine scanty, and passed with difficulty. The pulse is not 

 usually very high, but is easily raised by excitement ; he is 

 very nervous, starts and quivers when any one approaches 

 him. His appetite remains good, and from inability to feed, 

 his hunger amounts to starvation ; he will make every effort 

 to suck up gruel or fluids, when, from the fixidity of the 

 jaws, he is unable to masticate. The breathing, at first not 

 much altered, becomes difficult and loud. The symptoms 

 generally reach their climax about the third or fourth day. 



Treatment. — He must be thoroughly examined to see 

 whether any wound or puncture can be discovered ; if found, 

 it must be thoroughly opened up, and diligently fomented 

 with warm water and poultices of linseed meal, and 

 hyoscyamus leaves applied to soothe it and allay the irrita- 

 tion. He must be removed into a cool, dark, roomy loose- 

 box, and ^ strong purgative, such as J 



< Aloes (Barbadoes), . 7 drachma, / 

 \ Calomel, j . . 2 drachms, 



given in solution or ball, as most convenient. 



