154 
TETANUS. 
produce secretions from the alimentary canal, I consider the 
case to be altogether hopeless. 
In the four cases that were cured, the attacks were not at¬ 
tended with much febrile action ; the pulse was, on an average, 
from 48 to 58; but when the spasms were violent, the pulse 
became hurried and irregular. The blood that was drawn, in 
one instance, exhibited a considerable degree of inflammation, 
being almost all coagulable lymph; the others shewed no un¬ 
usual appearance. 
I must not now, how’ever, conclude the paper, without stating 
that I have very lately met with a case of tetanus, which I 
considered to be a favourable one. I applied the same remedies 
which I found to succeed in the two last cases, but the animal 
died on the fifth day. 
I shall, however, try this method of treatment, again and 
again, if favourable cases are afforded me. I mean, by favour¬ 
able cases, those of the chronic kind, which, on account of the 
gradual progress of the symptoms, afford opportunities of being 
successfully treated. 
The remedy that I have suggested may share the same fate as 
many others have before,—tried in the balance, and found 
wanting,—for it has been found that what has succeeded in one 
instance, is of no avail in another; and I am very much inclined 
to believe that there are numerous instances of tetanus in which 
the disease gradually wears out, and spontaneously terminates, 
but which we are apt to impute to the effect of the treatment 
that has been employed. 
I have come to this conclusion at the termination of my paper, 
partly in consequence of the ill success I experienced in my last 
case, and partly to warn those who might try the plan that I 
have recommended, not to be too sanguine of success ; for this 
mysterious disease may be said to baffle every mode of practice, 
since numerous are the plans that have succeeded, but more nu¬ 
merous are the cases in which the same plans have miscarried. 
There are few things that shew so substantially the mighty 
and awful power of disease, and of our incapability of arresting 
its progress, as to see a fine noble horse die tetanic. The case 
that I have mentioned as being produced by docking was an 
example of this. He was a fine handsome colt about three years 
old ; had shewed no symptoms of illness until about a fortnight 
after the operation. Being of an irritable temperament, he 
suffered dreadfully. The spasms were almost always present, 
and the tongue, which in most cases continues to possess vo¬ 
luntary motion to the last, had been forcibly propelled through 
the opening by the side of the mouth, where it was dreadfully 
