470 
TETANUS AND ACONITE. 
By Alex. E. Macgillivray, Yet. Surgeon, Banff, N.B. 
The fatality attending cases of tetanus is so well known to 
the profession, that I am certain its successful treatment by 
Mr. Andrew Simpson, as recorded in the Veterinarian for 
June, will strike many of my professional brethren as some- 
thing very remarkable. I have always found, and always 
seen, its treatment to be extremely difficult, and most un- 
satisfactory. In fact, until my arrival here, some six years 
ago, I never saw, either in my college or student practice, a 
successfully treated case of tetanus ; and during the last six 
years, I have only managed to bring through three cases. 
On reading Mr. J. W. Hill’s treatment of a case of tetanus, 
as recorded in the Veterinarian for April last, I considered 
it so very rational and well carried out, that I resolved 
to adopt a like course on the first opportunity. This was 
not long in presenting itself. On the seventeenth of same 
month of April I was asked to look at a very handsome four- 
year-old black cart-mare (the property of A. Simpson, Esq., 
Colleonard Cottage, near this town), which was said to have 
gone wrong about the hind legs, and to have a difficulty in 
eating. Quite a cursory look at the mare explained to me 
what was the actual state of matters. It was a distinctly 
marked case of idiopathic tetanus , for no lesion of any size or 
description could on the most minute search be discovered. 
I need not enter into detailed minutiae of all the too well- 
known symptoms. The poor mare was excessively nervous. 
On giving her the slightest tip with the hand below the 
lower jaw, she nearly fell backwards. On the slightest noise 
or irritation her breathing became seriously affected, &c. 
I succeeded in getting a good strong laxative dose over her 
tongue, which operated freely next day. On the second day 
I applied a fresh sheepskin over her whole back, and com- 
menced giving three times a day twelve drops of Fleming's 
tincture of aconite. This course of aconite was continued 
for about a fortnight. A second fresh sheepskin was applied 
on the third day, after discarding which three woollen rugs 
were put loosely on. Within forty-eight hours the jaws 
became so much locked, that the mare could of herself take 
no meat of any kind ; she was, however, fed by hand with a 
softened mixture of oatmeal and bran, of which she always 
partook greedily. The doses of aconite were either admi- 
nistered in cold wator, which she managed to suck up out 
