228 DISEASES OF THE BRAIN 



meal. In drinking the head is often projected up to the eyes 

 in water; in some instances the animal tries to "eat" rather 

 than drink the water. As noted these symptoms are usually 

 emphasized by exercise until the animal is in a profuse sweat. 

 Occasionally symptoms of vertigo and syncope occur. The 

 skin reflexes (snapping the forehead, poking a finger in the 

 ear, treading upon the coronet) are either diminished or may 

 in some cases be exaggerated. In driving a "dummy" some- 

 times the animal tends to go to the left or right of the road 

 notwithstanding the effort of the driver to prevent it. The 

 gait is often abnormal, the animal walking as if in water, with 

 a high wading movement of the fore limbs, or, on the other 

 hand, it may frequently stumble, setting its feet down in an 

 uncertain fashion. 



Course. — The course is chronic and accompanied by many 

 exacerbations and remissions. The animal may live for many 

 months or even years, showing improvement in cold and 

 becoming worse in warm weather. In exceptional cases it 

 may even refuse to eat and die of starvation. It is remark- 

 able how often the condition as to flesh is retained notwith- 

 standing a very variable appetite and the relatively small 

 quantity of food consumed. 



Prognosis. — The prognosis is bad as far as producing healing 

 is concerned. However, many " dummies" can render service 

 at slow work and especially during cool weather for months or 

 even years. In time, however, through gradual mental and 

 locomotor disturbances, their usefulness ceases, and even- 

 tually they are destroyed. 



Treatment. — Treatment is of no avail. The efficiency of the 

 animal may, however, be prolonged by feeding only light 

 laxative food and giving the patient good care. To relieve 

 constipation, salts should be given, and during an exacerba- 

 tion, hypodermic injections of pilocarpin (gr. iv-vj) or 

 arecalin (gr. j-ij) afford relief. 



BRAIN TUMORS. 



In animals brain tumors are comparatively rare. In the 

 horse the cholesteatoma has been noted quite frequently on 

 necropsy. During life it rarely produces symptoms. The 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



