88 DISEASES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



grow rapidly worse and exhibit spasms, paralysis, rigidity, contract- 

 ures of muscles, delirium and coma, with death in 8 to 10 days. 3. 

 In this there is never more than partial paralysis affecting the limbs 

 (paraplegia or monoplegia) or tail or muscles of deglutition, to- 

 gether with coryza and conjunctivitis. 



General symptoms are absent. Recovery is usually complete, 

 although it may be slow. (Circular 122, U. S. Bureau of Animal 

 Industry. ) 



Treatment. — The treatment of these various disorders may be 

 considered under one head, as it is much the same for all. They are 

 very fatal diseases and treatment is usually unavailing and will 

 hardly be economically worth while in many cases. Quiet, dark- 

 ened, cool quarters, where the animal may freely move without 

 getting cast, are best, and slings should be used when the animal 

 can not stand. Ice to the head with the use of a physic are desir- 

 able in the early stage; — for the horse a physic ball of aloes, 8 

 drams, with calomel, 1 dram; or the use of eserine or barium 

 chloride under the skin, if swallowing is impossible. Cattle should 

 receive i 1 /* lbs. of Glauber's salts with J / 2 dram of croton oil. 



When the pulse is frequent and strong, and the fever high, 

 circulatory depressants, as venesection ( 1 to 2 gallons) and tincture 

 of aconite (H. & C, 3i-ii every 2 hours till pulse is reduced in force 

 and frequency) are indicated. To assuage excitement and mania, 

 morphine should be given under the skin (H., gr. v-viii), or 

 chloral and bromide of sodium, by the mouth or per rectum, in 

 boiled starch solution (of each, §i for horses). The diet should be 

 of green fodder and gruels. Collargol is worthy of trial and may 

 be given horses intravenously dissolved in 20 parts of boiled water 

 in one or several doses of y 2 to 1 dram each. Puncture of the spinal 

 canal below the end of the cord has proved remedial in some cases 

 in human medicine and certainly deserves trial in veterinary practice. 

 A long sterile trocar and canula is entered between the 3rd and 

 4th or behind the 5th lumbar vertebrae until the subarachnoid space 

 is reached and cerebro-spinal fluid escapes from the canula. 



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