RESULTS OF DISTORTION OF THE NECK. 
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diminished. Egelling saw what he considered to be persistent luxation 
of the cervical vertebrae. The horse could even be ridden. 
Slight curvatures usually produce little inconvenience, but considerable 
displacement of the head leads to difficulty in movement, and the 
animal is sometimes unable to get up or to stand, though it can do both 
immediately the head is supported in its normal position. Others make 
“ circus movements ” towards the side to which the neck is curved. 
Where curvature becomes excessive, as is frequently the case in dogs 
and rabbits, the animals attempt to rise, but at once fall back, 
and make rolling movements around the long axis of the body. 
This is occasionally seen in dogs with disease of the middle ear, 
and in rabbits affected with mange of the ear. Sometimes, in 
horses which have suffered from severe strain of the collective muscles 
of the neck, the head is carried very low, producing considerable 
cedematous swelling, and causing the animal’s head to resemble that of 
a hippopotamus. 
Ruptures of the funicular portion of the ligamentum nuchse can be 
directly felt and recognised by the head being carried very low. The 
same position is assumed in disease of the upper vertebrse, and of their 
joints. Moller had a horse with purulent arthritis between the first 
and second cervical vertebrse, produced by the breaking through of a 
retropharyngeal abscess. The horse held the head and neck stiffly, and 
threatened to fall when attempts were made to lift the former. In 
purulent arthritis fever usually exists, but is altogether wanting in 
diseases of the muscles produced in a mechanical way. 
Course and prognosis. Distortion of the neck due to rheumatic 
disease of the muscles usually disappears in a few days. It often 
continues only a few hours, although in certain individuals it may 
recur, and is signalised by great pam, which causes whimpering 01 
crying. Though caput obstipum caused by paralysis may disappear 
in a short time, it sometimes remains for long periods, or even proves 
incurable. In forming a sound prognosis, it is important to discover the 
cause of the paralysis. In Holler’s practice, cases connected with ear 
disease have all proved incurable. Paralysis which has occurred 
suddenly, or existed only a short time, and is due to rheumatic or 
traumatic causes, may generally be expected to disappear earlier than 
that which has developed more slowly, and depends on disease of the 
central nervous system. In the latter case, prognosis is always doubtful, 
and is still graver when the condition is complicated with convulsions. 
On the other hand, distortion of the neck produced by muscular strain is 
cured in eight to fourteen days, or even earlier. Hertwig emphasises the 
fact that diagnosis must be cautious during the first few days ; a safe 
judgment cannot be formed from early appearances; severe disturbances 
