THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 209 



interesting case in which skin disease and paralysis alter- 

 nated with one another. Blaine speaks of the operation 

 of acupuncturation for long-continued rheumatic weakness 

 of the loins and hind extremities. In one case " a needle 

 was introduced nearly half an inch into the muscular 

 masses in three separate parts of the back opposite the 

 psose muscles with but trifling amendment, but the intro- 

 duction of it into the inner and outer surfaces of the 

 thighs, rather more than half an inch, was more bene- 

 ficial." Laxatives, light diet, and careful exercise are very 

 conducive to recovery when the loss of power is but 

 partial.* In the ' Veterinarian ' for 1878, at p. 780, are 

 recorded M. Mauri's views on locomotor ataxy in the 

 dog. He is a careful and experienced observer, worthy 

 of close attention. He has described as puerperal 

 eclampsia a disorder of the nervous system, of which he 

 has recorded a number of instances, as quoted in Fleming's 

 'Veterinary Obstetrics.' The patient generally became 

 affected some twelve or fifteen days after pupping, and 

 the symptoms supervened suddenly. They were anxiety, 

 panting, tongue pendent, and frothy saliva flowing from 

 the mouth, consciousness, mucous membranes congested j 

 sometimes plaintive cries and restlessness. Urine sup- 

 pressed ; bowels constipated. These general signs were 

 associated with clonic spasms -of the limbs, or paraplegia, 

 or a certain amount of want of control over the move- 

 ments of the limbs, and sometimes the eyes roll in the 

 sockets. These symptoms disappeared almost as rapidly 

 as they set in, generally as a result of narcotic doses and 

 sinapisms along the spine. Eecovery is sometimes pre- 

 ceded by profound coma. In a case recorded by 

 Lafitte, supposed to be of this disease, the two pups suck- 

 ling the patient suffered, one, a female, died after three 

 attacks on successive days, the other, a male, had two 

 attacks. 



Chorea (or 8t. Vitus' s dance) is a general affection of 

 the nervous system which is found in especial relations 

 * Stross, of the Vienna School, has placed on record a case of spinal pachy- 

 meningitis in the dog. 



14 



