THE CRAMP IN HORSES. 
641 
lameness yielded to the liniment. Six weeks afterwards, she was . 
once more attacked, and once more relieved; and during two 
years she was regularly seized with the cramp, once in every 
month or six weeks, until at length her owner, tired out, got rid 
of her. 
CASE VII. 
In November, 1830, I was sent for to castrate a four-year- 
old colt, the produce of a Barb horse and Hungarian mare. The 
operation was performed in the uncovered way, and no accident 
or unpleasant symptom occurred. Twenty-five days afterwards 
he was briskly exercised in the riding school. On the following 
day I was told that he could not move, and that the left leg 
behind was as stiff as a bar of iron. On arriving at the stable, I 
found that he was affected with cramp: from the croup to the 
fetlock the muscles were contracted, swelled, and tender: the 
animal limped on three legs, and drew the lame one after him in 
such a way that even the coronet dragged on the ground. He 
fed well, and was full of spirit. 
The camphorated opiate liniment was used, and the lameness 
disappeared. Soap, camphor, ammonia, and spirit of wine, were 
then rubbed in, in order to strengthen the limb. Fourteen days 
afterwards he was as bad as before ; he continued so during five 
days, when I was sent for. The malady yielded to the friction 
as readily as before, and the horse continued sound. I have seen 
many other cases of this affection, which it is needless to relate 
at length. A horse, six years old, always had the cramp in the 
left hind leg after a few hours of rest, but it disappeared when 
he had gone five or six paces : and another, as long as he lived, 
had it in the right hind leg; but it went off after a few hours’ 
exercise. 
Reflections .—As I have already stated, some veterinarians have 
spoken of the existence of these cramps. An old and estimable 
practitioner, M. Sylvestre, who, during many years, exercised 
his art with success at Geneva, often observed them, and was 
accustomed to remove them by frictions, dry, spirituous, or irri¬ 
tating, and, oftenest of all, by exercise. 
There appear to be three kinds of cramp: 1st, Those which 
appear after rest of greater or less duration, and which last only 
a few instants; 2d, Cramps which last some days, and do not 
return ; and 3d, Those which return at uncertain intervals, and 
continue some minutes or some hours, and that may be called 
periodical cramps. This last variety of the disease is the most 
frequent. 
It would be interesting to determine, whether the causes of 
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