ON SPASM OF THE VOLUNTARY MUSCLES. 
19 
could stand on it without pain. On the 5th he got a strong 
purgative: on the morning of the 6th the cramp was gone; the 
limbs were a little swollen from the pasterns to the hocks ; the 
cathartic operated in the afternoon. He went to work in a stage 
coach on the 10th of May. During the remainder of this month 
he was again attacked two or three times in both hind legs. 
Laxatives were given, and these always removed the disease 
even before any purgative effect took place. No local applica- 
tions were used. The horse has now been six months at work 
without any return of the cramp. 
Had the docking any thing to do with this ? Does the history 
of this case illustrate Mr. Karkeek’s doctrine on tetanus? The 
day before the second attack the horse had got a latge dose of 
sulphate of copper. 
CASE II. 
This occurred in a black cart mare on the 19th of November. 
On the morning of that day she was found very lame in the left fore 
leg. The owner had taken her to the door before I was called, 
and he described her as being unable to put the foot to the 
ground : she hopped about the yard with great difficulty and pain ; 
she began to perspire after being taken into the stable, and she 
refused her morning feed. I saw her in the forenoon : to me 
she appeared quite lively and sound, but when I attempted to 
lift the left fore foot the whole limb was suddenly stiffened, and 
projected forward. The levator humeri appeared to be the seat 
of cramp. In less than a minute the leg became flexible ; and 
the mare suffered it to be drawn and twisted in all directions 
without evincing pain. Upon letting down the foot, the spasm 
again appeared, and in a moment it was gone. The opposite 
foot was lifted, and the mare stood upon the other as in health. 
The spasm appeared only when she called the diseased mus- 
cles into action. Some strong tincture of cantharides was 
rubbed over the shoulder. On the second day she was in nearly 
the same state; and I intended to blister the shoulder, and give 
a purgative on the third day; but, when I called for this purpose, 
every trace of the disease was gone. The mare walked and 
trotted quite sound. On the 23d she went to work, at which 
she has continued every day since that time without any relapse. 
