EPILEPSY IN CATTLE AND SHEEP. 
485 
intervals as in the horse, but twice or thrice, or many times in 
the course of a day : so that there is not only much danger to 
those who have to attend on the animal, but he is covered with 
contusions, his condition is impaired, and he is soon ready to be 
carried off by some more than usually violent attack. 
There is an almost inseparable connexion between epilepsy and 
apoplexy in these animals. Young beasts in high condition are 
oftenest attacked; and a sudden change of pasture from that 
which is scanty to another that possesses extraordinary luxuriance 
is almost sure to produce it. In fact, it is apoplexy or staggers 
in these animals. There is, from determination of blood to the 
brain, sufficient pressure to produce great derangement in the 
stream of nervous influence; but not enough to be the imme¬ 
diate cause of death. 
Treatment .—The mode of treatment will be same as in the 
horse—bleeding, physic, setons, and a less allowance of food : 
but, except there are circumstances which render the farmer 
peculiarly anxious to save that beast, the wisest course is to send 
him to the butcher, for the treatment will be both expensive and 
doubtful. 
SHEEP. 
This disease occurs yet oftener in sheep than in cattle. On a 
sudden, and without any apparent cause, a sheep will cease to 
graze ; he will stare stupidly around him, stagger, run round 
three or four times, and then fall and struggle violently for se¬ 
veral minutes. By degrees the convulsions subside, they cease, 
and the animal gets up with the same half-unconsciousness that 
has* been described in the horse and the ox; this wears away, 
and he begins to graze again. 
Nature of the Disease .—Here again is a close connexion or 
identity between apoplexy and epilepsy. These fits oftenest 
occur in young sheep in good condition, and after improvident 
change of pasture. It is very frequent in the beginning of spring 
and the latter part of autumn, when the hoar frost lies thick upon 
the ground. The sheep, either not having been folded, or being 
turned out too early, gather much of this congealed water with 
their food; and it palsies the action of the rumen, or by its in¬ 
tense cold determines the blood from it to a more important and 
dangerous part. Having to travel over the downs of Wiltshire 
at this season, a few years ago, I had an instructive but not 
pleasing illustration of this cause of epilepsy. Within two hours 
after day-break I saw at least twenty sheej) and lambs with the 
convulsions of epilepsy strong upon them. The coachman told 
me that on every fine cold morning he saw nearly or (piitc as 
