ON TETANUS. 
363 
Application of Cold. —But is not cold one of the most direct 
and powerful sedatives that can be applied ? VVhy, I have 
heard of a tetanic horse being perfectly cured by being turned 
out on a cold frosty night. I can suppose that when this power¬ 
ful sedative—pow^erful under some circumstances at least—is thus 
universally and intensely applied, and applied to the air-pas¬ 
sages, and to the lungs, as well as to the external surface, and 
the horse has the full effect of it—for he is almost incapable of 
motion—I can suppose, I say, that the vital powers will be gra¬ 
dually depressed, and that to such a degree that this nervous 
excitation shall quiet down to almost its natural standard. I can 
suppose the possibility of this, and should not severely censure 
those who had recourse to such a mode of cure. I cannot, however, 
say, that I should be willing to make the experiment myself: 
there is too much apparent barbarity about it; and to the partial 
application of cold I have a decided objection, as sadly increasing 
the torture of the animal without the remotest probability of 
doincr orood. I have tried it under the common form of cold water 
, O O 
to its full extent—to an extent, indeed, which I can scarcely 
justify to myself. I have had relays of men, and for twenty-four 
long hours the water has been pumped or dashed upon the horse. 
It was cruel work. I did produce some slight remission, but no 
decided good effect; while the poor animal was cringing at the 
expectation of every fresh pailful; and when I stood so that he 
could turn upon me his retracted eye, I shall never forget the 
expression of that countenance: I do not always like to think 
of it. 
Opiate Frictions. —There is one kind of external application 
that has not been so much used, or so highly valued as it de¬ 
serves—I mean gentle friction over the course of the spine with 
the softest cloth, or, what is far better, the hand, beginning with 
the lightest possible pressure, and never increasing it much. The 
horse is a little frightened at first, but he soon gets reconciled to 
it; and when, at the same time, an opiate liniment was used 
(powdered opium rubbed down with camphorated oil, or opium 
and camphor dissolved in olive oil placed near to the fire), I am 
sure that I have seen relief obtained to a very marked degree; 
and at length the poor fellow has courted the friction as eagerly 
as he lent himself to the admininistration of the gruel. 
Tobacco Injections. —These were once in considerable repute, 
and, in a few instances, were eminently useful, and may be had 
recourse to in obstinate cases; but we shall not expect too much 
from them when we consider that their immediate effect is on a 
different system of nerves from those primarily connected with 
the disease. 
Mr. Egan, assistant surgeon to the 12th Lancers, gives, I am 
