THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. VIII, No. 89.] MAY 1835. New Series, No. 29* 
MR. YOUATT’S V ET E RI N A R Y L E C T U R E S 
DELIVERED AT THE UJ^IVERSITY OF LONDON. 
LECTURE XLVII (continued). 
The Causes of Tetanus, 
THESE have been divided by medical writers into idiopathic 
and symptomatic. I would consent to acknowledge this divi¬ 
sion so far as it is generally explained; meaning by idiopathic, 
causes which are either unknown, or which must be referred to 
some general agent influencing the whole system, as cold, worms, 
&c.; and symptomatic, including local causes, as wounds gene¬ 
rally—pricks in the foot—docking—nicking—the exposure of 
some particular part to cold ; although I should observe that 
the term idiopathic is scarcely an appropriate one in any case. 
I cannot help referring the morbid action of cold, worms, &c. 
to some definite part, and to the lungs or the skin, or the intes¬ 
tinal canal, more than to any other. The truth however is, that 
we have comparatively few cases of idiopathic tetanus in our 
patients; we can usually trace the original irritation or inflam¬ 
mation of the nervous fibril to some particular spot, whence it 
was mysteriously transferred to a distant part. 
The usual Causes. —If I were to select one part as more than 
any other the source and focus of tetanic irritation, it would 
be the foot. Wounds in it—a stub left in shoeing—a prick in 
shoeing—a stub picked up on a journey—a piece of glass wound¬ 
ing the frog or penetrating to the flexor tendon, these are the 
prevailing sources. The horse becomes lame—the evil is dis¬ 
covered—it is carelessly treated—the lameness disappears—the 
wound, however, has not healed: when examined, there is an 
unhealthiness about it—a want of life in the neishbouring; sub- 
stance and vessels—and then, eight or ten days after the injury, 
(if three weeks had passed, all would have been safe), locked-jaw 
appears. 
VOL. vm. L 1 
