COMA IN THE HORSE. 
323 
(but I hope not the last) become a subscriber to its pages. I have 
also one or two cases more, but not of the same description, which 
1 hope to send you on an early day. 
Early on the morning of Monday last my immediate attendance 
was required to look at an aged horse, of a heavy draught breed, 
chestnut colour, and in very low condition, belonging to a person 
of this town. On entering the stable, I found the following 
symptoms to present themselves : — The horse was standing with 
his head depressed, and pushed firmly against the wall ; legs and 
ears of a moderate temperature ; mouth rather hotter than usual, 
and moist ; breathing calm and regular ; pulse about thirty, and 
full ; pupils very much dilated ; complete paralysis of both optic 
nerves, and the animal in a state of lethargy, from which he was 
with great difficulty aroused. My first impression was that it was 
a case of coma arising from an over-distended state of the vessels 
of the brain ; and that the absence of many of those symptoms 
which usually characterize that affection probably depended upon 
the short time the horse had been attacked, and thus a sufficient 
time had not elapsed for those symptoms to manifest themselves. 
Under this impression, I at once proceeded to abstract blood from 
the jugular vein, at d on compressing that vessel with my finger, I 
was surprised to find several indications of this operation having 
been previously performed. I also examined the jugular on the 
other side of the neck, and here also had the lancet made its 
wounds. I however opened the vein, and abstracted about eight 
quarts of blood before any effect was produced ; I then closed the 
orifice, administered a cathartic ball, and in the course of half an 
hour, my patient being much relieved, I left him. I visited him 
several times during the day : he appeared to be going on favour- 
ably until about 8 o’clock, P.M., when the disease was returning 
with increased activity. I again took away blood until an evident 
effect was produced upon the system ; administered some seda- 
tive medicine, and ordered cold water to be continually applied 
to the head. I now found, on particular inquiry, that my patient 
had been the property of its present owner about eight months. 
In November last he experienced an attack of the same kind, but 
milder in degree, and which was relieved by venesection and ape- 
rient medicine (the horse had not, however, been a patient of mine 
before) ; that since that time, and even before, he had been gra- 
dually losing condition, would frequently when at work reel and 
stagger in his walk, appear sleepy, and run heedlessly against any 
object which came in his way. From this I expressed my opinion 
that there most certainly existed some abnormal formation within 
the cranial cavity, and which caused a continual pressure on the 
substance of the brain ; but as to the nature of this formation I 
