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FATAL CASE OF PROSTRATION OR COLLAPSE. 
FATAL CASE' OF PROSTRATION OR COLLAPSE, 
PRODUCED BY A SHOCK TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 
FROM INJURY. 
By A. H. Cherry, Vet.-Surg. 7th P. R. Dragoon Guards. 
A chesnut gelding, seven years old, an ordinary sized 
charger, the property of Lieut. Moore, 7th Dragoon Guards, 
while being ridden by a dragoon at exercise, on the morning 
of the 23d of February, 1854, took fright on a short bit of 
straight road, terminating at right angles with the main road, 
making directly for a formidable looking wall on the opposite 
side. The rider endeavoured to turn the horse to the right, 
which he failed to do. This putting him off his stride, he, 
instead of rising, breasted it obliquely, precipitating the man 
some yards over the wall into the field beyond, which, fortu- 
nately, chanced to be a grass one: he himself knocking down 
completely and dislodging nine yards in extent of solid masonic 
structure, in height five feet six inches, in thickness two feet 
six inches. From the quantity of masses lying dislodged, 
their weight was computed at two tons, not to say a wrnrd 
about the force of the impetus necessary to cause such a 
breach. He fell, of course, on this side of it, and, for some 
time, w r as thought to be killed ; but in the course of half an 
hour he rallied, and assisted himself, and was subsequently 
supported and propelled, with the assistance of the railway 
porters (near which the occurrence took place); and it w r as 
with great labour and exertion they succeeded in getting him 
to the hotel stables, a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile, 
and a mile and three quarters from the barracks. At an 
hour afterwards I first saw him. He was standing in a con- 
strained state, and could only attempt to move, and then his 
back w r as arched to a painful degree. He appeared to be 
suffering from a severe shock, accompanied with great ner- 
vous depression. Extremities cold. Respiration diminished. 
Pulse slow r , weak, and slightly fluttering. No external wound 
could be detected, except at the inferior margin of the lower 
maxilla, where there were slight abrasions, which parts must 
have come in contact wdth the top stone facing of the wall. 
The ears were directed to be pulled; the legs bandaged, and 
hand-rubbed alternately; and he w^as ordered to take instantly, 
Spts. iEtheris Sulph. Co. |iss, Aloes Barb. 3j« made into a 
draught to be given in gruel ; which temporarily roused him : 
his eye seemed brighter, and he put his nose into the manger, 
as if desirous of eating. The pulse remained the same. 
