EPILEPSY, OE FITS 
17 
considerable caution ; as the rigidity of the muscles occasion 
much pain to the horse if the head be elevated. If it 
given in a liquid state, a long slender bent tube should be 
used; it must be considerably curved downwards near the 
point, then an almost straight portion, equal to the length of 
the animal’s mouth from the gullet to the internal termina¬ 
tion of the cutting teeth, and from this it should be suddenly 
turned up in nearly a perpendicular direction, for a foot in 
length at least, terminating in a funnel-shaped mouth. The 
perpendicular pressure of the atmosphere will force the liquid 
down the animal’s throat. If the medicine is given in the 
form of balls, then it should be cut in small portions and 
stuck on the point of a very thin piece of whalebone, and 
in this way put down the throat. 
In tetanus, the digestive functions are not affected, and 
the poor animals suffer much from hunger. To keep up the 
system as far as possible, strong gruel should be given by 
the aid of the tube above described. See pi. XV. fig. 1. 
If, by any of the modes of treatment recommended the 
spasms are removed, the horse should be fed upon warm 
mashes of bran and oatmeal for some days ; and should the 
weather be mild he may be turned out in a field for a few 
hours in the middle of the day. 
EPILEPSY, OR FITS. 
Symptoms. — The epileptic fits in horses are, as in the 
human being, very sudden, of which no premonition is given. 
The horse suddenly stops, is seized with considerable trem¬ 
bling, looks around him with a vacant stare, and then sud¬ 
denly falls. This is followed with convulsive struggles of a 
greater or lesser degree. The head and neck are consider¬ 
ably contorted. The convulsions seldom last more than a 
few minutes; he ceases to struggle, and on the recovery or 
