136 TETANUS TREATED WITH HYDROCYANIC ACID. 
directed her to be constantly supplied with sloppy bran 
mashes, and the knee to be blistered. 
After purgation had been freely established, I commenced 
giving injections, night and morning, of hydrocyanic acid, 
one fluid drachm, in about a pint of tepid water. 
After continuing this treatment for a week, a marked 
change for the better was perceptible. I therefore allowed 
her a little cut grass, and continued the injections. In the 
course of a few days she fell down, and was obliged to be 
lifted up and placed in slings; and when down injured the 
knee very much, which ultimately terminated in anchylosis 
of the joint. It was now nearly four weeks since the attack. 
The tetanic symptoms had gradually disappeared, the 
animal was perfectly free from any rigidity of muscles, and 
could move her jaws with the greatest freedom. She was now 
turned out to grass in a field close at hand ; but after the 
lapse of a few weeks, it became advisable to destroy her on 
account of the anchylosis of the knee-joint, already referred 
to; so that after all we were doomed to disappointment, 
although there had taken place a successful termination of 
the attack of tetanus. 
Case 2. — October 27th, 1856. — I was requested to see a 
bay mare, three years old, the property of J. Holds worth, 
Esq., of Belle Vue. On my arrival, 1 was informed that she 
had been out at grass the whole of the summer, and was 
taken up on account of being “very stiff.” I at once saw 
that it was an extremely severe case of tetanus. She was 
standing with her head stretched out; the nostrils were 
dilated, the ears erect, the membrana nictitans protruding, 
the tail curved to one side, the mouth firmly closed, and a 
quantity of saliva issued from it, when an attempt was made 
to open it; the pulse was 48, and full; the breathing quick, 
with great rigidity of the muscles of the whole frame. I 
carefully examined her, to see if I could find any marks of 
injury, and observed a slight abrasion above the right orbit. 
She was placed in a dark, well-ventilated box, and I gave a 
full dose of cathartic medicine, inserted a seton over the sup- 
posed seat of injury, had a sheepskin placed upon the loins, 
and left special injunctions that she was to be kept as quiet 
as possible. 
29th. — The bowels have responded satisfactorily; she 
drinks gruel, and sucks in bran mashes, which are purposely 
made very sloppy ; the breathing is more natural. I ordered 
an injection to be thrown up, night and morning, of hydro- 
cyanic acid, one fluid drachm, in tepid w'ater, one pint. 
