80 
EFFUSION INTO THE THECA VERTEBRAL1S 
CAUSING PARALYSIS IN A HORSE. 
By A. Bickford, M.R.C.V.S., Totness. 
On the 15th of September, my attention was called by a 
gentleman living in the neighbourhood of this place, to an 
aged bay gelding, that had been ill two days. During that 
time he had been under the treatment of a farrier. 
On the morning of the 13th the animal had, with another 
horse, been drawing a plough up to twelve o’clock. At 
that hour he was taken from work, being then apparently 
in perfect health. At two o’clock he was again put to work, 
and in the first two rounds he was observed to be unsteady 
in his gait, and ultimately he fell on his side. After a short 
time he was enabled to rise, and walked into an adjoining 
grass field, but he was again speedily compelled to resume 
the recumbent position. 
Two days after this attack I saw him, he having been 
during the interval exposed to the inclemency of the weather. 
He had evidently struggled a good deal, but was unable to 
get up, and had lost the control of the right hind-quarter 
more particularly. 
As soon as 1 had examined him, I informed the owner 
that the case was one of inflammation of the membranes covering 
the sjoinal corcl , and that I expected that more or less effusion 
had taken place. However, as he wished to have him 
treated, a blister was applied to the skin, from the withers 
to the haunch. Seven drachms of aloes were also given, 
and he w 7 as taken on a slide to a place of shelter, when hot 
rugs were placed over him. 
The physic acted w T ell, as did the blister. 
During the night he got upon his legs without assistance, 
but only remained up about two hours. His appetite, 
during the first three days, w r as unimpaired. 
On the 19 th the disease had evidently extended to the 
brain; the paralysis was more general; he was likewise less 
conscious, and when food w r as offered to him he snapped 
at it in a peculiar manner. Seeing no hope of an ultimate 
cure, and to put an end to his sufferings, I advised the 
owner to have the horse destroyed; and for the purpose of 
satisfying both him and myself that the seat of the disease was 
W’here I had stated it to be, I proposed to institute a post¬ 
mortem examination. He having acquiesced, the following is 
the description of the parts. The whole of the abdominal and 
