192 
AFFECTIONS OF THE SPINAL CORD. 
18M. — He is much better; still very weak; and turns in his 
stall with difficulty. 
20th. — The physic had operated very well. I ordered gentle 
exercise, and in a few days he returned to work and appeared 
very well. 
I was again consulted in September, when he had become 
suddenly lame in the near fore leg, and without any apparent 
cause. I examined him, and found him shrink when pressed 
upon the shoulder and withers. I abstracted blood from the 
jugular vein, ordered warm fomentations to the shoulder, and 
gave a cathartic ball, which operated well ; and in a short time 
he was at work again. 
I left home in October for a few days, and on returning, I 
learned that my old patient had that morning been found unwell. 
He appeared to be very well on the preceding day, had per- 
formed his usual work, and had fed as usual. He was standing 
with his legs wide apart, his nose poked out, and the respiration 
very laborious. 
He was constantly moving his fore legs, as in an attack of 
inflamed laminae, the feet, however, were perfectly cool ; but, 
on examining the shoulders, he shrunk when they were pressed 
upon, and appeared to be in great pain, as he did also when 
pressure was applied to, the back and loins. 
The pulse was 70 ; the bowels rather confined : and he staled 
with pain and difficulty. 
I abstracted eight pounds of blood ; he then became very 
weak, and the pulse indistinct at the jaw. I gave ten drachms 
of aloes ; ordered mashes ; and directed him to be clothed and 
kept warm. 
1 0th, 7 a.m. — The bowels still confined, and he refuses all 
food. I ordered thick gruel to be given, and administered as an 
enema half a pound of Epsom salts dissolved in two quarts of 
warm water. He then had a ball composed of one drachm of 
digitalis, a scruple of opium, and two drachms of nitre with 
simple syrup. 
7 p.m. — The physic is operating a little. Give a ball as before ; 
and administer gruel, since he still refuses his food. 
11th, 7 a.m. — He appeared to be easier; ate a little hay; 
and the respiration was more tranquil. Give ball as before. 
1 2th. — Considerably worse ; the respiration very much in- 
creased, and performed with jerks : the sides are very tender ; 
there are evident symptoms of pleurisy. I took away 4 lb of 
blood, which was all that could be obtained without danger of 
his falling. I then gave him a drachm each of digitalis and emetic 
tartar, and two drachms of aloes, and ordered his sides to be well 
