INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN IN SWINE. 
657 
anxious to get away; it also refused its food. Not thinking the 
case of particular importance, I paid no farther attention to the 
circumstance until after my man had been to attend it in the even- 
ing, who found the animal much convulsed. When 1 saw it the 
convulsions were over, but the pig was blind. 
Having paid but little attention to this branch of the veterinary 
art, I called in the assistance of an individual who was consi- 
dered by many of his neighbours as “ very learned” in the treat- 
ment of pigs. In conformity with his wishes, two inches were 
abstracted from the pig’s tail, both its ears slit, and the parts 
left bleeding. On the following morning, as the animal was not 
better, it was bled in the mouth. This (the usual treatment in 
all such cases) being of no essential service, and the animal get- 
ting worse, I thought it necessary to take the case into my own 
hands. The convulsions, blindness, and prostration of strength, 
1 considered to be owing to an affection of the brain, which symp- 
toms were aggravated by considerable constipation of the bowels. 
The case had evidently been delayed too long, and the treatment 
I pursued was more of an experimental kind than with any hope 
of producing a favourable result. 
The common means for evacuating; the bowels not having 
succeeded, I gave some croton oil with tincture of ginger, which 
brought away some faeces very much hardened, and the animal 
appeared relieved, the convulsions being less frequent and not so 
violent. 
A second dose, nine hours afterwards, caused a relaxed state 
of the bowels on the following morning. Thinking them not yet 
sufficiently operated upon, some sulphur was given. With all 
the attention which it received, the animal did not live long after- 
taking the sulphur. The system evidently had been too much 
exhausted before active treatment was resorted to. 
On examination after death, the brain shewed extensive marks 
of active inflammation. The observations that I made on the 
case and on the effects of the treatment would in a similar 
event, and in an early stage, induce me to pursue the following 
course : I would bleed largely from a vein in the fore leg (the 
brachial, or, as known to farriers, in the horse by the name of the 
plate vein). This vein runs along the inner side of the fore leg 
immediately under the skin ; and the best place for opening it is 
about one inch above the knee, and scarcely half an inch back- 
wards from the bone (the radius). No danger needs to be appre- 
hended from cutting two or three times, if not successful at first 
in getting blood. By tying firmly around the leg just below the 
shoulder a ligature of tape, the vein will be more readily dis- 
vol. xrv. 4 r 
