232 DISEASES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



the heart area. Difficult breathing; frequent, small pulse; trembling 

 and restlessness accompany the condition. 



Treatment. — Antispasmodics often relieve the spasm, as spirit 

 of chloroform or compound spirit of ether (of either, H., §i-ii). 

 With symptoms of digestive irritation the use of lavage (see p. 289) 

 and a purge would be indicated. Sometimes the disorder lasts for 

 days, when various remedies should be tried. The injection of 

 morphine (H., gr. v-viii) is one of the most successful; inhalation 

 of amyl nitrite (H., 3i) or of chloroform may be used. Pulling out 

 the tongue and warm applications over the region of the diaphragm 

 have been successful. Sodium bromide and laudanum (H., §i of 

 the bromide and §iv of laudanum in a pint of boiled starch solution) 

 may be given as an enema per rectum. If breathing becomes very 

 difficult, venesection (see p. 283) offers the best chance of averting 

 fatal pulmonary congestion. 



Spinal Inflammation — Spinal Pachy- and Lepto-Meningitis— Mye- 

 litis. 



It is difficult to separate these rare diseases in veterinary prac- 

 tice. In a general way the symptoms are : — pain and stiffness in the 

 muscles and limbs; tenderness over the spine; muscular spasm and 

 hyperesthesia, followed by loss of sensation, paresis and para- 

 plegia; retention of urine and feces, followed by incontinence; 

 atrophy of muscles. The condition may be acute with fever but 

 generally is chronic. Rapid paralysis of sensation and motion with 

 bladder and rectal symptoms and bed sores indicate myelitis. 



Treatment depends somewhat upon the etiology. Traumatism, 

 tuberculous caries of the spine, infections (septicemia and pyemia, 

 distemper, strangles, etc.), and new growths are causative factors. 

 Meningitis must not be mistaken for rheumatism of the lumbar 

 muscles, as seen in dogs, or " asoturia " or black water in horses. 

 In case of acute spinal meningitis the treatment should follow 

 closely the lines laid down for cerebro-spinal meningitis (p. 88), 

 except that cold should be applied to the spine instead of to the 



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