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CRAMPS OF THE FLEXOR MUSCLES 
CRAMPS OP THE FLEXOR MUSCLES OF THE HEAD 
AND NECK. 
Bv Edward Dycer, M.R.C.V.S. Dublin. 
Dear Sir, — I forward you a case which lately came 
under my notice. It is interesting to young practitioners so 
far as teaching them that they should perfectly understand 
the pathological nature of cases which they are called to 
treat, previous to their attempting any remedial means ; for 
had 1 not taken the benetit of the doubt from my ignorance 
of the nature of the case, and had entered into the treatment 
of what from certain symptoms I had first conceived to be 
indicative of cerebrospinal arachnitis ; I might (if the owner had 
been present) there being a very great similarity of symptoms, 
have fallen into a great mistake by informing him that the 
cure w as very dangerous, and little prospect of recovery. 
February 26th — I was called on to see a valuable bay horse, 
six years old, that had for two days previous been treated by 
me for a slight discharge from the nose and cough, for 
which his throat was slightly stimulated, and rations ordered 
of bran mashes, with linseed tea, no medicine of any sort, 
walking exercise, loose box. On arriving at the stable, the 
groom informed me that the horse had broken out into a 
sweat, and that he pointed the near fore-foot in a fixed 
position, and trembled much on it, but that he had fed well, 
and showed those symptoms after coming in from exercise ; 
on examining the animal I could not observe any of the 
symptoms described, I got the horse led out, and found him 
perfectly free from lameness or stiffness. 
At four o’clock the same day I w r as called on again to see 
the horse, and found him as follows: — his head depressed 
almost to the ground, his neck and back much bow 7 ed, the 
fore legs extended forward, bent, and very w ide apart ; pro- 
fusely sweating on neck and scapula ; head slightly inclined 
to right side, with a constant working round the box to the 
left. Pulse full and 50 ; respiration tranquil ; drinks water 
out of a bucket, when the nose can be got into it ; attempts 
to masticate hay. The throat between the jaw 7 s very much 
swollen, and the swelling hard, as if oedematous. The 
muscles of the neck very rugged, and, on attempting to 
raise the head, which seems to give great pain, the animal 
would immediately flex the head and neck between the fore- 
legs, the nose touching the ensiform cartilage, the fore-legs 
being advanced as far forward as possible, and flexed to 
