22 TUMOUR IN THE LATERAL VENTRICLE. 
sively affected, it is characteristic of lesion of the opposite 
side of the brain; so that although we may frequently be 
correct in deciding upon the side of the brain on which the 
lesion is seated, it is by no means certain of our doing so. 
It is extremely difficult to make the phenomena of disease 
during life agree with the appearances of the brain on dis¬ 
section, in very numerous cases. Such is the exquisite 
structure, and incomprehensible formation of the organ, that 
it is very difficult to discover the connexion between the 
symptoms and the nature and seat of the disorder. Symp¬ 
toms of the most violent description have been observed 
during life, manifesting lesion of the brain, and nothing the 
least remarkable presented upon dissection ; whilst examina¬ 
tions of the encephalon after death have revealed vices of no 
ordinary description, which presented no signs whatever of 
their existence during life. 
Occasionally we meet with phenomena rare and very 
singular. I may here introduce a case as an illustration. 
A young friend of mine, about four months since, was 
thrown from his horse with great violence. His head re¬ 
ceived a severe blow at the back in the region of the cerebel¬ 
lum, by which he was stunned. He was taken up senseless, 
and carried to an inn, where he remained betwixt hope and 
despair for a fortnight; at length he recovered perfectly in 
every respect, except the sense of taste. Such is the condition 
of this faculty, that beef, mutton, veal or pork, roast or 
boiled, taste all alike, and that not pleasant. Brandy, gin, 
rum, or whisky, are all the same to him; and if his eyes are 
shut he cannot distinguish one from the other. The motions 
of the tongue are perfect. It is a very remarkable circum¬ 
stance, that the nerve force of the sensory fibres of the fifth 
pair, entering the third division of that nerve, should be so 
seriously diminished, whilst the whole of the nerves sent to 
the head and face from the sensory root of the fifth pair are 
unaffected. What little sense of taste still remains in the 
tongue is evidently maintained by the glosso-pharyngeal 
branches distributed to its root. 
But of all the phenomena referable to lesions of the brain, 
those of Epilepsy are the most difficult to account for. It is 
a frequent disease in man, common in the dog, but I believe 
it to be very rare in the horse; having, through a long period 
of years of close application to the profession, seen only one 
case, and that I will here give an account of. April 21, 
186, an aged cart-gelding was suddenly seized, while eating 
his corn, fell down upon his left side convulsed; the eyes 
were forcibly drawn within the orbits, the haws obscuring the 
