220- DISEASES OF THE BRAIN 



From the standpoint of differential diagnosis the following 

 conditions must be taken into consideration : 



(a) Functional disturbances of the brain such as accom- 

 pany acute feverish infectious diseases. These are accom- 

 panied by mental depression, disturbance in consciousness, 

 etc. The diagnosis here would depend upon the evidence of 

 the existence of the primary disease, and the fact that the 

 brain symptoms are not as well developed as in meningo- 

 encephalitis. 



Meningo-encephalitis might be confused with rabies. In 

 rabies, however, consciousness is not disturbed in the begin- 

 ning, the clinical symptoms develop progressively and char- 

 acteristically (melancholia, frenzy, paralysis), and forced 

 movements and spasms fail. Acute encephalitis could only 

 be excluded in cases where topical symptoms appear early 

 (hemiplegia, ataxia, monoplegia, etc.). A tubercular menin- 

 gitis could only be diagnosed by discovering a tubercular 

 iritis (rare), the evidence of tuberculosis in other organs 

 and the tuberculin test. 



(b) Poisonings (lead, mercury, brine, santonin, tobacco, 

 poppy leaves, opium, etc.) also produce functional brain 

 disturbances which resemble the symptoms of meningo- 

 encephalitis. Usually the history coupled with the fact that 

 the patients show at the same time gastro-intestinal symp- 

 toms suffice for the diagnosis. Brain disturbance is also 

 noted in some cases of helminthiasis and in forage poisoning. 



Prognosis. — Except in the puerperal form- in cows, which 

 often reacts favorably to proper treatment applied early, 

 meningo-encephalitis is a very fatal disease. The mortality is 

 over 75 per cent. In the horse those cases which do recover 

 are left "dummies" from consequent hydrocephalus. Fur- 

 thermore, amaurosis, deafness, muscular paralysis frequently 

 follow in the wake of the disease. 



Treatment. — The treatment consists in placing the animal 

 in a cool, darkened, well-ventilated stall, best in a box stall 

 where it may run free, using short straw for bedding so that 

 its feet will not be entangled. The food should be easily 

 digestible; if the animal cannot eat, rectal feeding may be 

 resorted to. To the poll cold applications may be applied. 



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