THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL.VllI,No.95.] NOVEMBER 1835. [New Series, No. S5. 
MR. YOUATT’S VETERINARY LECTURES, 
DELIVERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. 
LECTURE L. 
Cramp — Stringhalt — Chorea. 
CRAMP is a sudden, involuntary, and painful spasm of a 
particular muscle, or set of muscles. It differs from tetanus in 
its extent and duration, and, perhaps, in its occasionally attacking 
the muscles of organic life. Doubtless many cases of dislocation 
of the patella, and obscure hock lameness, have been mistaken 
for cramp; but you will not be long in practice without 
witnessing instances of the plain and palpable occurrence of this 
transitory tetanus; and particularly affecting, as it chiefly does 
in the human being, some of the muscles of the hind (lower) 
extremities. It is mostly observed in the morning, when the 
horse is first brought out of the stable, and especially in an 
animal that is pretty hardly worked. One of the legs appears 
stiff, inflexible; it is, in a manner, dragged after the horse. This 
proceeds from the accumulation of muscular irritability in the 
extensors, and a sudden spasmodic action of them, in order to 
balance the power which the flexors have gained over them during 
the night. After the horse, however, has proceeded a few steps, 
the stiffness nearly or quite dissappears; but sometimes a slight 
degree of lameness remains during the greater part of the day. 
Treatment .—It is rarely that the veterinary surgeon has any- 
thinor to do with this. If a certain depfree of lameness remains, 
he may endeavour to find out the muscle chiefly affected, and 
which he will easily do by a feeling of hardness, or an expression 
of pain, when the presses on the extensors of the hock somewhat 
above that joint: he may then order plenty of good hand-rubbing 
at the time, or a little more attention to grooming generally, or a 
wider or more comfortable stall, as the circumstances of the case 
may seem to require; and here his services will cease. 
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