TETANUS, OE LOCKJAW. 221 



diminish under judicious treatment, or they may reach the stage 

 wherein all the characteristics of acute tetanus become developed. In 

 some cases, however, we find the muscular cramps almost solely con- 

 fined to the head or face, perhaps involving those of the neck. In 

 such cases we have complete trismus (lockjaw), and all the head 

 symptoms are acutely developed. On the contrary, we may find the 

 head almost exempt in some cases, and have the body and limbs per- 

 fectly rigid and incapable of movement without falling. 



Tetanus may possibly be confounded with spinal meningitis, but 

 the character of the spasm-locked jaw, retraction of the eyeballs, the 

 difficulty in swallowing due to spasms of the muscles of the pharynx, 

 and above all. the absence of paralysis, should serve to make the 

 distinction. 



Prevention. — AVhere a valuable horse has sustained a wound that it 

 is feared may be followed by tetanus, it is well to administer a dose of 

 tetanus antitoxin. This is injected beneath the skin with a hypoder- 

 mic syriilge. A very high degree of protection may in this way be 

 afforded. 



Treatment. — The animal should be placed in a box stall without 

 bedding, as far away as possible from other horses. If in a country 

 district, the animal should be put into an outbuilding or shed, where 

 the noise of other animals will not reach him ; if the place is moder- 

 ately dark it is all the better ; in fly time he should be covered with a 

 light sheet. The attendant must be very careful and quiet about him, 

 to prevent all unnecessary excitement and increase of spasm. Teta- 

 nus antitoxin appears to be useful as a remedy in some cases, if given 

 in very large quantities early in the disease; otherwise it is useless. 

 Subcutaneous injections of carbolic acid in glycerin and water (car- 

 bolic acid 30 grains, glycerin and water each 1 ounce) appear to be 

 useful in some cases. Injections should be given twice daily. 



A cathartic, composed of Barbados aloes 6 to 8 drams, with which 

 may be mixed 2 drams of the solid extract of belladonna, should be 

 given at once. This is best given in a bail form ; if, however, the ani- 

 mal is greatly excited by the attempt or can not swallow, the ball may 

 be dissolved in 2 ounces of olive oil and thrown on the back of the 

 tongue with a syringe. If the jaws are set, or nearly so, an attempt 

 to administer medicine by the mouth should not be made. In such 

 cases one-quarter of a grain of atropia, with 5 grains of sulphate of 

 morphia, should be dissolved in 1 dram of pure water and injected 

 under the skin. This should be repeated sufficiently often to keep the 

 animal continually under its effect. This will usually mitigate the 

 severity of the spasmodic contraction of the affected muscles and 

 lessen sensibility to pain. Good results may be obtained sometimes 

 by the injection per rectum of the fluid extract of belladonna and of 

 cannabis indica, of each 1 dram, every four or six hours. This may 



