96 
THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
The case of tetanus occurred in a horse belonging to a carter, 
which had been fired here by one of the students a short time 
previously for extensive chronic disease of the fetlock joint of the 
near hind leg. As the animal was of little value, the owner was 
not inclined to keep him ; he was therefore bought for dissection, 
and after keeping it for a few days, was destroyed. One of the 
cases of tetanus reported last month as improving is now quite re- 
covered. The other case, although now apparently progressing 
favourably, has several times, to all appearance, been in an almost 
hopeless condition, which was occasioned by the horse lying down 
on four occasions, and becoming much exhausted from violent 
struggling, first arising in consequence of the accession of spasm, 
and also apparently in order to relieve himself from his uncom- 
fortable position. The first of these occasions was when, in con- 
sequence of there being a mitigation in the tetanic symptoms, the 
horse was placed in a loose box, in order to afford some relief after 
the confinement to which he had been subjected in the slings : he 
either lay down or fell during the night, and, with his legs and 
head extended, struggled for a considerable time with great violence, 
which occasioned much irritation, and was attended by profuse 
perspiration, causing speedily much debility. Although the case 
was now apparently discouraging, it was determined to raise him 
and place him again in the slings. He was accordingly hoisted 
upon his feet by means of a crane, and his former means of sup- 
port afforded him. He was kept in the slings for some time, being 
occasionally walked out to favour a return of the natural tone of 
the muscles ; his movements betrayed considerable debility, yet, 
when in the stable, as the tetanic symptoms had almost totally 
disappeared, and as he fed well and appeared lively, he was again 
tried in a loose box, but with a similar result. 
Again, on one occasion about three weeks ago, when being 
walked out for exercise, he unfortunately fell down, and was un- 
able to rise. After some ineffectual attempts to assist him on his 
feet, it was found necessary to place him upon a sledge, and draw 
him into the yard, where, having placed him under the crane, he 
was again hoisted up. From that time till the 11th of the present 
month (January) he continued to improve, and being on the day 
mentioned again loosened from the slings, and turned into a loose 
place, he lay down, and was again unable to rise without assist- 
ance. He is, however, improving, and the chief hinderance to his 
power of raising himself seems to arise from his suspensory liga- 
ments having become injured from long standing, and from the 
existence of several sores and bruises in various parts of the body, 
which interfered with the free exercise of muscular power : these, 
