PRESSURE ON THE MEDULLA SPINALIS. 
467 
staggering about, as though their backs were badly rigged. The 
one, a red roan colt, had been observed to stagger as he walked 
two or three days before. He could not now stand sufficiently 
quiet to graze ; his hind parts were perpetually rolling right and 
left. When he was driven along, I thought he would have been 
precipitated head foremost into the river Avon (forming the west¬ 
ern boundary of the meadow in which they were), having lost the 
proper command of the voluntary muscles of the body. The 
other, a blue roan colt, was attacked this morning : he swerves 
a little. They were driven home and housed with some difficulty ; 
being unbroken, wild and awkward. 1 could not correctly judge 
of the state of the pulse, they were so intractable and excited. 
They were both bled, and had a solution of aloes given them. 
Sth. —They have had halters on all night, and are more 
tractable and composed. The red roan has amaurosis, and stag¬ 
gers very much, evidently indicating too great a determination 
of blood to the brain and medulla spinalis, and caused by the 
intense heat of the sun. The blue roan to-day staggers as badly 
as the red one : the pulse of the former is sixty, and hard ; and 
of the latter seventy, and wiry. Their bowels are constipated. The 
treatment was repeated—venesection, and Barb, aloes in solution. 
9th. —Respiration disturbed—bowels sluggish—pulse of both 
sixty, and hard. I bled, and gave laxatives, and applied sheep¬ 
skins reeking hot to the loins. Their diet was bran mashes, 
which they ate voraciously, and in a very peculiar manner, from 
the imperfect action of the muscles of mastication. 
llth .—They stagger exceedingly—the pulse forty, and soft— 
the breathing tranquil—the perspiration is running off their 
backs down the legs, from the influence of the sheep-skins. Re¬ 
move them, and wash their backs with tepid water. The bowels 
are relaxed. Give digitalis and tartar emetic. 
ISth. —No visible improvement in either of them. The blue 
roan’s tail is erect, similar to that of an animal with tetanus. Give 
aloes, digitalis, common turpentine and nitre ; and stimulate the 
loins. 
15th. —The red roan is much the same, with the exception of 
the pupils being contracted. The action of the posterior extre¬ 
mities is quite involuntary, inducing me to fear an effusion be¬ 
tween the theca vertebralis and the spinal marrow. I applied a 
stimulating charge along the back bone, from the superior part 
of the scapula to the gluteal muscles. The blue roan is consider¬ 
ably improved. Continue the stimulus to his loins—repeat also 
the nauseating medicine. 
ISth. —The red roan swerves less. The blue roaifs extremities 
arc swollen, but the rolling motion has nearly disap|)cared. 
Turn them out in the daytime. 
