64 DISEASES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



end abruptly in recovery, or in a heavy sleep with complete relaxa- 

 tion. Attacks recur at variable intervals, the patient being well in 

 the intervals. Epilepsy is sometimes partial with spasms of groups 

 of muscles only, as of the eyeball, face or fore limbs, and the animal 

 may not fall. Thus, in horses, staring, shaking of the head and 

 to and fro movements of the ears may be seen. Megrims differs 

 from epilepsy in occurring during exercise and without convulsions. 



Convulsions or eclampsia are seen more often in puppies or 

 young pigs. A special form affects bitches from a few days to a 

 month after parturition. They fall to the ground absolutely rigid, 

 go into convulsions, but apparently retain consciousness. A con- 

 vulsion (or eclampsia) is similar to a single attack of epilepsy in 

 its symptoms. 



Treatment. — This depends upon the causation and whether 

 the attack is eclampsia or epilepsy. Epilepsy is often idiopathic, 

 but may be due to actual disease of the brain or to peripheral reflex 

 irritation. Thus local lesions in the brain, as abscess, exostoses, 

 tubercle, parasitic cysts, thickened dura, fracture with depression of 

 the bone and hemorrhage, are causes. Also parasites in the frontal 

 sinus or ear, foreign bodies in the ears or stomach, burns and 

 wounds (as stump of horn in cow), sharp, rough teeth in horses, 

 may be etiologic factors. In the young the inhibitory centres are 

 undeveloped, and overloaded stomach, acute disease (toxins, as in 

 canine distemper), rickets, indigestion (autointoxication), abnormal 

 teething and intestinal worms appear to be most often responsible 

 for convulsions. 



In the treatment of epilepsy or convulsions one should, then, 

 try to find some source of reflex irritation and remove it. In the 

 attacks of convulsions sedatives to the motor centres should be 

 employed. In epilepsy treatment of the attack is of little value, but 

 sedatives are given in the intervals for long periods. Bromides 

 are the most useful sedatives. Sodium bromide (H., §ss; D., gr. 

 x-xv thrice daily) or mixtures of the various bromides of potas- 



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