64 
MR. YOUATT’s veterinary LECTURES. 
day, was suddenly taken ill. M. Gerard found him with his 
head depressed, resting upon the manger, and the forehead 
forcibly pushed against the wall. His breathing was laborious; 
the eyes were haggard and very brilliant; the ears cold; the 
subcutaneous veins of the head swelled; the pulse hard and 
slow; the body covered wdth perspiration, and the extremities 
cold and drawn together. M. Gerard attempted to bleed him, 
but he was seized with a violent paroxysm—leaped into the 
manger, and beat his head against the wall. M. G. however 
succeeded in abstracting nearly seventeen pounds of blood. The 
animal became quiet, and remained in a dosing state all night; 
and although it was observed on the following morning, that the 
pulse was free, the eye was fixed, and the sight was gone. Ten 
pounds more of blood were abstracted, and a drink with opium 
attempted in vain to be given. In the evening he became fright¬ 
fully violent. M. G. managed to cut off his tail, and he was 
suffered to bleed until he fell exhausted; and even then the bleed¬ 
ing was permitted to continue, until it stopped spontaneously. 
On the next morning he was quiet; he had partly recovered 
his sight, and was eating. Eight days afterwards be returned 
to the ranks. 
Observations .—This is a valuable case, as illustrating the 
beneficial effect of venesection in this disease, and the extent to 
which it may be safely carried. 
Effect of Opium .—The second case recorded by this gentleman 
is a very singular one. A horse, apparently well over-night, was 
suddenly seized with a violent fit of mad staggers. He had 
broken from the stable, and escaped into the yard, and destroyed 
every thing within his reach, but was at length exhausted, and 
was lying on the ground when M. Gerard first saw him. He 
was completely blind ; the jaw was locked, the body covered with 
sweat, and the pulse inexplorable, although the artery was dis¬ 
tended. He opened both the jugulars, and abstracted twenty- 
nine pounds of blood. Four hours afterw^ards the horse was 
down, with his head against the wall, and with occasional spas¬ 
modic movements of it. The pulse was fifty-six and strong, and 
the blindness continued. M, G. abstracted ten pounds more of 
blood, and, not content whth this, docked the horse, and suffered 
the bleeding to continue as long as it would. At night the pulse 
had sunk to forty, when M. G. gave two ounces and a lialj oj 
indigenous opium in a drink, and administered two ounces more 
in the form of injection. 
- On the following morning the pulse was soft, and the horse 
had partly recovered his sight. The same quantity of opium was 
repeated by the mouth, and administered in an injection, morning 
