142 
A CASE OF TETANUS FOLLOWING FRACTURE OF 
THE CRANIUM. 
By Mr. G. Skka vington, Devonport, late V.S. Bengal Horse 
Artillery. 
“ I’ll tell your honour/’ replied the corporal, “ every thing straight forwards 
as I learnt it.”— Sterne. 
It was my duty to visit our hospital morning and evening; but 
not having any patient in it that required my immediate attend¬ 
ance, I did not go to it on the evening of April 2G, 1830, being 
invited to dine with my friend. Major W., of the Artillery, and at 
whose house I remained until 10 o’clock p. m. (we always dine 
at sun-set in India). On getting into my buggy, my groom 
informed me that one of the troop-farriers had been to my house, 
about eight o’clock, inquiring for me, but did not leave any mes¬ 
sage, not willing, I suppose, to disturb me. Having received this 
information, I proceeded to the hospital stables without further 
delay, where I found a dun horse, about six years old, having had 
his head cut by running violently against a cross bar which is in 
the cavalry stables at the head, about six feet high, for the pur¬ 
pose of tying the horse to during cleaning, &c., there being no 
manger or wall at all at the horse’s head, and consequently they 
are fed with corn from a leathern nose bag, and eat their grass off' 
the ground. I found, on inquiry, the horse had broken loose 
from his groom during watering time, and had been galloping 
about for several minutes, when, after repeated efforts to catch 
him, he dashed into his own standing with such force as to oc¬ 
casion the fracture. The cut was from just under the forelock, 
about two and a half inches down the face. The farrier on duty 
had sewn it up, and on examination I could not find any thing 
that would not warrant the conclusion it was a common wound of 
the skin, and would be well in a few days. 
27th .—On visiting the horse this morning, I found his head 
extremely hot, and his mouth also hot and dry ; the pulse 50, and 
full. I ordered him to be bled 8 ib, and gave aloes ^iiij, tereb. 
vul. 5 iij. Bathe the head well with warm water three times a-day. 
28 th .—Medicine operating well but not violently; the head still 
hot; continue the bath ; the pulse the same as yesterday; the 
wound looks dead on the edges ; apply after the bath digestive 
ointment to the wound. 
29/4.—The wound discharges well, pulse 40; discontinue the 
bath, and apply digestive ointment to the wound as before. 
30/4.—Discharge continues to go on well, the sutures being 
