18 
ON THE DISEASES OF DOGS. 
staggers — raises his fore-paws unusually high in walking, and runs 
his head against any thing that is in the way. These symptoms 
are accompanied by salivation which flows from the mouth in the 
form of a frothy foam. If the fit is unusually violent, the dog 
falls; his limbs are convulsed — his eyes roll in their sockets — 
and, sometimes, the general spasm induces stercoral evacuations. 
The flow of saliva is most copious when the fit is at its height : a 
calm succeeds to this violent agitation, and the fit is over. The ani- 
mal gets up again, and appears fatigued — is unusually dull — sleeps 
a great deal — and the motion of the flank is almost imperceptible. 
A fit may last only a few minutes, but sometimes it continues seve- 
ral hours. They usually increase in violence, and take place at 
shorter intervals ; and from this the state of the disease may be 
inferred, for the more frequent, numerous, and long they are, the 
more serious is the evil, and the less the chance of any favourable 
result. 
Towards the end or during the last epoch of the disease, another 
complication is frequently added; this is chorea, or St. Vitus’s or 
St. Guy’s dance — a singular mixture of paralysis and convulsions; 
a phenomena which, pathologically speaking, is but little under- 
stood, because most persons have contented themselves with study- 
ing the symptoms, without troubling themselves to inquire which 
is the peculiar organ that suffers, and what is the nature of that 
lesion of which it is the seat. We will not, however, follow their 
example. Chorea is characterised by involuntary flexions and 
extensions, and by convulsions which are occasionally general, 
but for the most part partial. Sometimes it is the head and neck 
which are affected, at other times the fore or hind limbs, or both 
at once. If only one limb is convulsed, it gradually becomes 
atrophied. These abnormal changes operate most sensibly when 
the animal is awake, but they sometimes occur during sleep, and 
are always totally independent of the will of the patient. Some 
dogs are subject to chorea for five or six consecutive months, some 
for one or two years, and many for life; indeed, there are many in 
which it never ceases. At times, it will affect only the limbs, the 
head, and neck, or the muscles of the body, and then its unfortu- 
nate victims are never still. There is no respite from the continual 
shocks or convulsions of the part affected. When this nervous 
state has persisted for some years, and, in fact, often in less time, 
a paralysis of some portion of the body is induced, or rickets, which 
end only with death. 
We stated it to be our intention to inquire into the nature and 
seat of the lesion from which chorea is most likely to result. In 
the first place, it is necessary to reflect on the nature of the symp- 
toms of this affection, and the circumstances that give rise to 
