SPINAL PARALYSIS OF THE HORSE 243 



edematous, and protrudes from the prepuce. In mares the 

 external genitals may be swollen and edematous. 



Course. — The course is very varied. The duration of the 

 disease may be from a few days to three months. Con- 

 valescence is slow. The mortality varies from 50 to 100 

 per cent. 



Diagnosis. — The paralytic symptoms with little impairment 

 of sensibility, a good appetite, the swelling of the external 

 genitals, and the enzootic occurrence of the disease are sig- 

 nificant. In sporadic cases only the determination of the 

 streptococci in the blood would furnish tangible evidence of 

 the existence of the disease. From the standpoint of differ- 

 ential diagnosis, infectious spinal paralysis might be confused 

 with azoturia, infectious anemia, sclerostomiasis, and forage 

 poisoning. 



Treatment. — Medicinal treatment is of little or no value. 

 It is purely symptomatic. 



Prophylaxis. — The food and water should be looked after 

 to see that they are good and pure. The administration of 

 antistreptococcic sera to healthy but exposed horses is 

 thought to have a preventive action. 



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