392 
MONOMANIA IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
be referred the stupidity which is occasionally observable in 
sheep; the same remark may sometimes be made of the calf, at 
least, so says Aygalenq. That writer relates that, at the veteri¬ 
nary school of Lyons, he has seen a bitch present all the cha¬ 
racters of madness ; she would suddenly fly from the person 
who was caressing her, and run in every direction, crying and 
barking, apparently without motive or cause. Mania can only 
occur in the brute from some mechanical cause, and in order to 
remove the disease, it will be necessary to take away the excit¬ 
ing cause. Insanity which depends on any derangement in 
the relative situation of the different parts of the brain is without 
hope of palliation or cure.” 
Under the article monomania he adds ‘Svhat we have said of 
mania partly applies to this species of mental alienation, if the 
brutes are susceptible of it, and of which there is no example.” 
It will be seen from the different facts which I have related 
(see The Veterinarian for May last, p. 268, &c.), that I have 
been accustomed to look at this matter in a point of view very 
different from that in which it has presented itself to this author, 
both as it regards mania and monomania in the domesticated 
animals. I will, however, proceed to state some new facts, which 
seem tome to prove unequivocally that they are subject to veri¬ 
table derangements of their intellectual faculties. This inquiry 
is of great importance as it regards the usefulness of the horse, 
and the comfort and safety of the owner. It will appear, that 
some of these derangements of the cerebral functions are sud¬ 
denly and unexpectedly , developed; others, the existence of 
which is already known, are dangerous, because the time of their 
attack cannot be caculated upon or foreseen; and these derange¬ 
ments, when they consist in self-will, or desire to do mischief, 
renders the meeting, or the use of these animals, exceedingly 
perilous, and the more so as that peril is generally quite unex¬ 
pected. 
This inquiry will also be important, considering that these oc¬ 
casional fits of aberration constitute that important branch of 
veterinary jurisprudence which has relation to the habits and 
vices of animals. Many of these maniacal affections are inter¬ 
mittent. They manifest themselves at intervals more or less 
prolonged ; and the symptoms which would indicate their ex¬ 
istence or approach probably are not and cannot be recognized 
when the horse is examined for purchase. They have reference 
to certain situations, and certain objects alone, and which pro¬ 
bably were designedly avoided, or otherwise absent at the time 
of sale. It is possible, also, that the vendor may have been ig¬ 
norant of the peculiar affection to which his horse was subject; 
