ATROPHY OF THE MUSCLES OF THE LOINS. 
627 
earlier to the scythe in spring than any other green food. 
It is also equally as valuable in the autumn* as it can be cut 
when tares are not procurable: 
Should any of your readers wish for information as to 
where to procure the seed, or for particulars as to its cultiva- 
tion, 1 shall be most happy to give them. 
I am, gentlemen, yours truly. 
[In a former number of our Journal, we gave some 
extracts from Mr. Dickinson’s work on the culture of Italian 
rye-grass, and strongly recommended its use as a 66 green 
food,” both on account of its nutritive qualities and also of 
its being procurable at periods of the year when none other 
is available. We have ourselves very recently commenced its 
culture ; and so far as our experience has as yet gone, we are 
perfectly satisfied with the result. The cases of paralysis 
inquired into by Mr. Withers, together with several others 
published in our Journal, and believed to arise from the 
eating of “rye-grass,” have only been observed when horses 
have consumed the English grass at a time it was ripening 
its seeds, and when it was very dry and fibrous in its stems. 
Some of our correspondents suppose that at this period a 
narcotic poison is produced, which causes the attack of 
paralysis, but of this we should like to hear more anon, as we 
think we see sufficient to account for these cases in the indi- 
gestible character of the grass at the times alluded to. The 
seeds of the Lolium temulentum , annual rye-grass or darnel, 
are described as being very injurious both to man and 
animals, but we have never understood that such was the 
case with Lolium jperenne , the perennial or common rve-grass. 
A CASE OF ATROPHY OF THE MUSCLES OF THE 
LOINS, &c., OF A MARE, IN WHICH THE LOSS 
OF POWER REMAINED AFTER MUSCULAR 
DEVELOPMENT HAD BEEN RESTORED. 
By Thomas Webb, Jun. , M.R.C.V.S., Denston. 
I was called to attend a mare, eight years old, belonging 
to J. Worlledge, Esq., Chevington, on November 3d, which 
I found to be suffering from occasional and partial paralysis. 
She was observed, at first, to make several false steps, and had 
great difficulty in recovering herself. The dorsal and lumbar 
muscles on either side of the spine began wasting, and 
more especially those of the near hind extremity, until the 
