460 
THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
eased leg stood in its natural position with relation to other parts 
of the limb ; and the case has, since the operation, which was per- 
formed three weeks ago, continued to progress favourably, so that, 
according to appearances, in another fortnight or three weeks at 
most, the animal will be fit for ordinary work. 
It will be seen that the number of cases of staggers is unusually 
large this month ; this is in consequence of the disease prevailing 
to such an extent as to warrant its being considered an epizootic ; 
for, in addition to the cases for which assistance has been requested 
here, accounts have been received from veterinary surgeons iji 
various parts of the country, stating that many horses, and in some 
places neat cattle also, have been affected with it. Having been 
in Haddingtonshire, Kincardineshire, and Linlithgowshire, within 
the last eight days, we have found the disease prevailing exten- 
sively in these counties. From the accounts received of the dis- 
ease, and from what has been seen of it here, it does not seem to 
be fatal in its nature, provided a proper method of treatment is 
adopted ; but, in many cases, horses affected are a considerable 
time in recovering perfectly. In some instances the constitution 
of the animal, after a few days at the first onset of the disease, ap- 
pears to be little affected, and the symptoms observed are merely 
an unsteady and reeling gait in walking ; this is more especially 
confined to the hind extremities. The pulse in such is rather slow 
and feeble, ranging from 20 to 28 per minute ; the appetite is 
scarcely affected, but there is apparent debility. In other cases 
there is stupor, with a slow but fuller pulse : there is the same 
reeling gait in walking. The appetite is impaired, and there is a 
tendency to constipation. When the animal is moved or turned 
round, he appears in danger of falling, and in a few cases he lies 
down : in such instances, however, there is not the absence of the 
power of motion and sensation which characterise palsy, nor is the 
degree of coma or stupor so great as to interfere much with the 
functions of the organs of special sensation. There are cases, how- 
ever, in which the sense of vision is much impaired, so that the 
finger may be made to touch the cornea before the animal becomes 
sensible of its approach. It may be noticed that Professor Chris- 
tison, having analyzed the urine and fseces of some horses at Alloa 
which were affected with this disease, found that they contained a 
quantity of lead; and it has been ascertained that the water which 
they drank was conveyed a considerable distance in lead pipes. 
The disease, however, in other cases, could not be ascribed to such 
a cause. 
It is difficult to offer an opinion as to what are the probable 
causes of the disease. It is worth observing, however, that it did 
not make its appearance to its present extent until after the com- 
