300 
ANIMAL TATHOLOGY. 
preventing the access of arterial blood to this important part, 
this animal becomes dull and wastes away, and at length is 
truly paralytic in its hind legs, and loses entirely the sense of 
feeling as well as the power of motion*. 
In a more singular way the hydatid commits his ravages on 
the pig. The young hog, from fourteen to twenty months old, 
if badly kept, occasionally pines away without any ostensible 
cause, and at length becomes paralytic, having lost both feeling 
and the power of motion ; and numerous cysts containing hyda- 
tids are found embedded in the psoas and other lumbar muscles ; 
while the spinal marrow, participating in the irritation and in- 
flammation without, becomes softened and reddened about the 
lumbar and sacral regionsf. 
In many cases of extreme sensibility of the integument, and 
evident pain, the pressure of an elastic bandage, equally and not 
too tightly applied^ will give almost incredible ease to the 
swollen and inflamed and agonized limb. It yields mechanical 
support to the distended vessels; it enables them to contract 
on their contents, and prevents the influx of that arterial blood 
whose presence in undue quantity constitutes the essence of in- 
flammation, and prolongs its duration. Here, however, much 
judgment is required, and the adaptation of this means of relief 
must be regulated and adjusted according to the circumstances 
of the case. 
Fracture of the Spine . — On the same principle, the loss of 
sensibility which is the consequence of fracture of the spine is 
explained. Displaced portions of the bone press on the spinal 
cord, and arrest the passage of the medullary vibrations, or of 
the nervous fluid, or prevent the circulation of arterial blood to 
the part. Mr. Hudson, of Lincoln, gives a case of this. “An 
aged mare fell while endeavouring to clear a ditch. The hinder 
limbs were completely paralyzed, and insensible to every stimulus. 
The first lumbar vertebra was fractured, and its spinous pro- 
cess pressed on the theca vertebralis, where there was also a 
considerable quantity of extravasated blood. In the human 
being the depressed portion of the arch and spinous process of 
the fractured vertebra has been removed by a dextrous operation, 
and sensibility and the power of voluntary motion have been 
sometimes restored ; but on our patients this has never been 
attempted. I should consider him a bold operator, but I should 
not dislike him, who made one trial, at least, how far surgical 
skill might be available here. 
Partial Insensibility . — Many very curious cases of the loss of 
* R6c. de Mdd. Vet. xxvii, 394. 
f Veterinarian, iv, 286. 
