246 FUNCTIONAL NERVOUS DISEASES 



Epilepsy may exist for years or even during the whole life 

 of the animal. 



Petit Mai— The mild type manifests itself by spasms of 

 certain groups of muscles, usually of the head (lips, facial 

 muscles, eye muscles), neck, and front limbs. This is accom- 

 panied by a partial and temporary loss of consciousness. 

 In some cases there may be no convulsions, only loss of con- 

 sciousness, as in vertigo. 



Treatment. — No successful treatment is known for epilepsy. 

 In animals bromid of potash (g j) is helpful. 



ECLAMPSIA. 



Definition. — A convulsive seizure like that of epilepsy, but 

 which assumes an acute character and terminates either in 

 permanent recovery or may end in death shortly following-the 

 attack. The term eclampsia may be used in a broad arid in a 

 narrow sense: Eclampsia in a broad sense would include 

 brain convulsions or tonoclonic spasms, with loss of con- 

 sciousness occurring usually in the course of acute encepha- 

 litis, influenza, lead poisoning, or uremia.- 



Enclampsia in a narrow sense would be the peculiar, acute 

 epileptiform spasms in suckling animals (eclampsia infantum), 

 and in mothers which have just given birth to young (eclamp- 

 sia puerperal is). 



The most important type of eclampsia in animals is 

 puerperal eclampsia, which is extremely rare in cows and 

 sows; but relatively frequent in bitches. (See other works.) 



CATALEPSY. 



Definition. — Catalepsy is a peculiar nervous disorder, char- 

 acterized by loss of consciousness combined with cramp-like 

 contractions of the musculature of the body, which becomes 

 rigidly fixed. The patients remain immovable in the position 

 placed and the joints may be readily bent passively. At the 

 same time there is loss of sensitiveness of the skin. The 

 cataleptic state has been noted in dogs. It is extremely rare 

 in animals. 



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