62 TUMOUR IN THE VENTRICLE OF THE BRAIN. 
Mr. Pyatt first saw the horse up to the period of his death ; 
for had this information been supplied, together with any 
peculiarities which had been observed previously, it might 
have furnished us with materials which, added to the stock 
of knowledge we already possess on diseases of the brain, 
would aid in forming a correct diagnosis of such affections, 
and also in prognosticating with greater certainty their pro¬ 
bable results. 
Among other things, it would be important to have known 
whether the horse had been a very gross feeder; if he had 
often been subject to any gastric or intestinal derangement; 
if he was of a costive habit of body, as well as what was the 
state of his breathing under all circumstances. Further, if 
he had ever shown any vertiginous symptoms; if towards the 
latter period of his life he had been observed to partially fall 
asleep when standing; if any defect in his hearing, or vision, 
or smell, existed, and if so, in what degree. Such in¬ 
formation could not have failed to assist Mr. Pyatt in deter¬ 
mining the true nature of the malady. But we all know T the 
difficulty there is in obtaining the previous history of patients 
which come under the care of the veterinary surgeon. We 
should also have liked to have been informed what was the 
age of the horse, and the length of time that usually elapsed 
between one attack and another; and if there were any 
peculiar symptoms preceding the attacks, such as an unusual 
dilatation or contraction of the pupil of one or both eyes ; 
also whether there were any twitchings of the muscles of the 
eyelids or lips; or loss of motion or sensation of any part of 
the head or face ; or if coma had been observed at intervals 
between the attacks, which are said by Mr. Pyatt to have 
been paralytic in their nature, and to have lasted a long 
time. 
It will be allowed that these inquiries have more or less 
bearing upon the pathology of the disease in question, and 
being considered in conjunction with the post-mortem appear¬ 
ances, the case would have been very instructive. Mr. Pyatt. 
will, therefore, pardon the liberty we have taken in alluding 
to them, as we have done so with a view of exciting inquiry 
in the mind of the aspirant to veterinary knowledge. 
We have no doubt that Mr. Pyatt duly considered all 
these points, so as to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion of 
the nature of the disease, and to warrant him in ordering the 
horse to be destroyed. Many of the members of our pro¬ 
fession, and especially the junior portion of it, have not how¬ 
ever had the necessary experience to assist them in forming 
such an accurate diagnosis. 
