SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF TETANUS WITH ACONITE. 257 
animals, she being then in company with two more horses 
in a three-stall stable. 
My attention was now directed to a bruise upon the withers 
caused by the saddle. There was a scab on the injured part, 
with detached edges, having the appearance of a “ sitfast.” 
I removed this with the knife, and ordered a piece of flannel 
steeped in hot water to be placed over the part. I then 
administered a cathartic in the shape of six drachms of Bar- 
badoes aloes in solution, and next applied a strong mustard 
plaster along the course of the spine, and left strict orders for 
the animal to be kept perfectly quiet until I saw her again, the 
diet in the mean time to be sloppy mashes and gruel. 
20th. — The medicine had acted mildly ; the bowels being 
only gently relaxed without purgation. If anything, the 
mare was a little calmer and the pulse firmer. Upon ex- 
amining the wound I found a small sinus about an inch and 
a half in depth, running in a forward direction ; this I dressed 
as before with nitrate of silver, and ordered thehot fomentation 
to be continued. I then administered ten minims of 
Flemming’s Tinct. Aconite in half a pint of warm gruel, and 
left another dose for the evening ; diet as before. 
21st. — A slight improvement ; jaws a little more relaxed ; 
the animal had dunged and urinated, and partaken tolerably 
well of gruel and mash ; the muscles of the head and neck 
were still very rigid, also those of the back. I renewed the 
mustard application, over which I placed a newly flayed 
sheepskin ; left the same medicine as before, and dressed the 
wound as previously. 
22nd. — Animal better ; wound looking healthy and granu- 
lating fast; pulse stronger; the patient not so excitable, and 
able to open the jaws sufficiently wide to take in a little solid 
food. Ordered the sheepskin to be replaced by a fresh one on 
the following day. Diet as before, with the addition of a few 
carrots and a little steamed hay, which she readily partook 
of; in fact, her appetite was a marked symptom for good 
throughout. The aconite was administered as usual, viz. ten 
minims morning and evening in half a pint of thin gruel. Twice 
when the excitability seemed greater the dose was increased 
to twelve minims. 
This treatment I pursued until January 4th, with the occa- 
sional administration of an aperient. By this time the wound 
had thoroughly healed, and the jaws, together with the muscles 
of the head, neck, and body, had almost assumed their natural 
state. The membrana nictitans still protruded slightly, and 
the patient was a little stiff in turning. I now put her 
under a course of tonic treatment, viz. Tinct. Ferri Sesqui- 
