136 THE EFFECTS OF -CHLOROFORM ON HORSES. 
resists to his utmost his restraint, and finally makes a desperate 
throe or precipitation, which generally ends in his violently fall- 
ing upon the ground, and lying as quiet and motionless as 
though he had been struck dead. And now he may be turned 
and rolled about, cut or maimed in any way. without manifesting 
the slightest feeling. A person may run a pin through his ear, or 
amputate his tail, but he will evince no pain whatever : his nos- 
trils, which were before dilated, now become collapsed ; his ears 
fall down ; his breathing is hardly perceptible ; his pulse has become 
slow ; his pupils dilated and insensible to light : indeed, there is 
little external manifestation of vitality remaining, save that one 
limb is, perhaps, now and then twitched up and flexed, or that there 
is some appearance of subsultus tendinum over parts of the body. 
In general, in about two minutes after inhalation has commenced, 
the animal begins to exhibit symptoms of restlessness, and in no 
case has the time been prolonged beyond fifteen minutes to put 
the animal completely under the effects of chloroform. In the 
case of any operation, should it be desirable to maintain the animal 
under its influence, whenever signs of returning consciousness 
make their appearance, chloroform must be added in half-ounces 
or so, from time to time, through the central opening in the muzzle. 
However satisfied I may feel about the power of chloroform over 
the horse as an anaesthetic agent, I cannot think of employing it for 
the purpose of casting, in lieu of the hobbles. Injuries of the spine 
accruing in horses under such circumstances, I am of opinion, 
happen at the moment the animal struggles after being cast. A 
serious objection to the use of chloroform before casting is, that the 
fall of the animal is too uncertain to admit of restraint or limitation, 
and consequently violent injury may result in the struggles and 
staggerings preparatory to his fall, as well as in the fall itself. 
I may conclude this account by the mention of a case of disease 
in which I have administered chloroform, though with doubtful 
effect. It was a .case of tetanus. The horse at the time was in 
the slings, being in so hopeless a condition that all prospect of 
recovery had vanished. Chloroform was suggested. Its inhala- 
tion speedily roused the patient, and threw him, for the space of 
a minute or two, into a state of frantic excitement. Then he fell 
and became insensible, exhibiting relaxation of his spasmodic 
limbs, collapse of his nostrils, dilatation of his pupils, &c. ; and in 
this state of relaxation from ^spasm and total unconsciousness 
he breathed his last. 
