PALSY IN THE DOG. 
131 
rarely or almost never has enteritis in its mildest form, without 
some loss of power over the hinder extremities. You might 
think at first that this arose from the participation of the lumbar 
muscles with the intestinal irritation, and so perhaps to a cer- 
tain degree it may ; but let the disease of the bowels continue 
long, and it will be evident enough that it is not pain alone which 
produces the constrained and incomplete action of the muscles 
of the hinder extremities, but that there is an actual loss of 
nervous power. Nay, simple constipation cannot long exist in 
the dog, without impairment of nervous power. A patient is 
often brought to me with no apparent disease about him except 
a staggering walk referrible to the hind limbs. I inquire into 
the case, and I find that he eats well, and is cheerful ; I examine 
him, and perceive that his muzzle is moist and cool, but his 
belly is completely tucked up, and there are two longitudinal 
cords, running parallel to each other on either side, which will 
scarcely yield to pressure. I order the castor oil mixture twice 
or thrice daily until his bowels are acted upon, and as soon as 
that is accomplished he is as strong and as well as ever. 
Perhaps he comes to me palsied ; his hind legs being dragged 
behind him. I order him a warm bath. I dose him well with 
the castor oil mixture, and if it is a recent case he is quite well 
in a few days. In more confirmed palsy, I add to the constant 
action of the aperient on the bowels, the charge or plaister on 
the loins. The process may be somewhat slow, but it is seldom 
that the dog does not ultimately and perfectly recover. An old 
Chinese dog in the Zoological Gardens had completely lost the 
use of his hind limbs many months ago. He has been treated 
in this way — he is recovering, and I doubt not that, before the 
spring has passed, he will be as stout and able as he continues 
to be savage. 
Explanation of this Connexion . — It is easy to explain this 
connexion, although we should have scarcely supposed that it 
would have been so intimate, had not frequent experience forced 
it upon our observation. The rectum passes through the pelvis. 
Whatever may be said of that viscus considering its vertical 
position in the human being, it is always charged with faeces in 
the quadruped. It more than shares in the effect, whatever that 
be, which is produced by the retention of faeces in the intestinal 
canal, and it shares also in the inflammatory affection of other 
parts of the canal. Almost in contact with this viscus, or at 
least passing through the pelvis, are the crural nerve from the 
last lumbar vertebrae — the obturator running round the rim of 
the pelvis — the gluteal nerve occupying its back, and the 
sciatic hastening to escape through it. It is not difficult to ima- 
