V 
370 
TETANUS IN HORSES IN INDIA. 
By T. Hurford, 15th King’s Hussars. 
To the Editor of u The Veterinarian.” 
My dear Sir,—I regret I cannot give you any cases of tetanus 
arising from castration: they are (not?) very rare occurrences; 
but, unfortunately, I have not all my books in this country. 
1 castrated a horse of my own, an Arab, four years old. 
About three weeks afterwards, when the wound was perfectly 
healed, I ordered him to be walked out with harness on, he 
being intended for draught. In about ten minutes he was 
brought out, the horse-keeper sending me word, that he would 
not walk. On going out, I found him tetanic. He was put 
under treatment immediately, but he died on, I think, the 
fourth day. He was a bad patient. In the treatment of 
tetanus a good patient is half the battle: some horses will 
assist you, and hold their heads so as to take the medicine 
easily; while others fight against you, increasing the spasm so 
fearfully that I think they are better left alone. One horse 
I remember well, before the attack of tetanus, was so vicious 
that it was hardly safe to go near him; and yet during his 
illness he was the best patient I ever had. The first use, 
however, he made of his returning strength, was to kick his 
owner very severely : his case is G. 742. 
Although I have been tolerably fortunate in helping Nature 
through many cases of tetanus, I cannot make up my mind as 
to what medicine I place most reliance on. * I have sometimes 
thought that, if the bowels were well operated on by purging 
medicine, the horse was safe; but no! I have tried opium, 
belladonna, camphor, cannabis indica, and all at times with 
good effect; at other times with none. Blisters are, I think, 
worse than useless; they make a horse sore and uncomfortable, 
without, in my opinion, producing any good effect. One thing, 
I am sure, is a most essential ingredient in the treatment, and 
that is, perfect quiet. Without it, no treatment will avail. 
I send you the only cases I can find: if they are of no use to 
you, you will tear them up; they have at least served to recall 
to me some most pleasurable feelings; for I have felt more 
gratification in the successful treatment of this very unmanage¬ 
able disease than in that of any other. Though the pain may 
appear to be more acute in many disorders, the animal’s look, 
his every motion, convey to you the appearance—if the ex¬ 
pression may be allowed—of mental as well as bodily suffering, 
which is not, 1 believe, shewn in any other disease, and to feel 
