THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
461 
mencement of the hot weather, and it has been most prevalent 
among horses which have been well fed, whether in or out of the 
stable, and which have been exposed to the heat either in pastures 
or during their work. Many brewers’ horses in town have been 
affected ; and, in the country, those have more especially suffered 
which were out at grass. One farmer near town had three af- 
fected at the same time ; they were then all out at grass, and had 
been so for some time. In another case, a mare that was running 
out with her foal was found one morning in a deep ditch, into which 
it was supposed she had accidentally fallen. She was got out with- 
out much difficulty, and it was discovered that she was affected 
with the disease under notice. In the accounts received from the 
country, cows are stated to have been affected in many places; but 
in town, where they are always housed, we have not during June 
had any opportunity of seeing the disease in these animals. 
From the circumstances just stated, it seems at least probable 
that a cause of the disease may consist in the heat of the weather 
inducing an irregular or altered circulation of blood in the brain 
and nervous centres, bringing about such an alteration in the per- 
formance of their functions as to give rise to the symptoms detailed. 
A farther predisposing condition, in some cases, seems to consist 
in a plethoric habit of body. 
The treatment of the disease, so far as it has come under notice 
here, has been hitherto successful, although in some instances re- 
covery has been tedious. From the varieties in strength and fre- 
quency which the pulse presents, some variation of treatment has 
necessarily been adopted. When the pulse is full, blood-letting 
has been freely employed. In one case, the horse had fallen and 
was unable to rise. He had been bled before any message was sent 
here. The bleeding was ordered to be repeated, and a considerable 
quantity of blood was abstracted ; after this he rose on his feet, and 
from that time continued steadily to improve. A moderate dose of 
purgative medicine is given in all cases, and is repeated, if occa- 
sion should require, in the course of a few days. As the pulse, 
even in those cases where bleeding seems at first required, soon be- 
comes soft and feeble, recourse is had to the usual mineral and 
vegetable tonics, and generally with very evident advantage. A 
change from grass (if the animal is feeding on it) to hay with bran 
mashes, appears to be the best diet, although some have recovered 
when turned out to a poor pasture. During the earlier periods of 
the disease, frequent sponging of the head with cold water is of 
great service. In some cases there are slight twitchings of one or 
more of the limbs for a few days before recovery begins to take 
place: these seem relieved by the administration of preparations 
of iron ; in other instances there is considerable nervousness, which 
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