REPORTS OF CASES. 
345 
A REMARKABLE CASE OF TETANUS. 
By Robert Robb, Terre Haute, Ind. 
On Sunday, March 29, 1896, I was called out five miles in 
the country by a Mr. T. to arrest the hemorrhage from a steer’s 
horn that had been dehorned the day before. After seeing my 
patient and doing all that was necessary, I was about to take my 
departure when a Mr. B., a neighbor who was present, spoke to 
me about something growing over his horse’s eyes, and wanted 
me to remove them before they got too bad. I mentioned that 
I would drop in as I passed 011 my way home. The neighbors, 
present took advantage of the occasion and went down to see 
the operation. After ordering the horse to be brought out of the 
stable I was greatly surprised to behold a case of tetanus before 
me of the opisthotonos form. I at once gave my diagnosis as 
tetanus, but this caused the owner and neighbors present to look 
amazed. Some began smiling as if I had made a very bad 
break, so to speak, but finally the owner accepted my opinion, 
after pointing out the pathognomonic symptoms. I then ex¬ 
amined the horse carefully, but found nothing that I could give 
as a cause (traumatism), though I mentioned that the trouble 
could and does arise from other causes outside of wounds. This 
again was new, and caused some comment among those present. 
From the history I got the first symptom that was noticed of 
something being wrong was the day before while at work. Hav¬ 
ing the horse walked, stiffness was well marked, both in front 
and behind. The meinbrana nictitans were withdrawn from 
their sockets, trismus was slightly marked, and swallowing im¬ 
paired, as he drank very slowly and sparingly. From this day 
he never partook of food. After ordering the horse to be re¬ 
moved where he could have quietude, he was placed in a nice 
roomy box stall. After seeing to his comfort that day I gave 
him a hypodermic injection of sulphate of atropia gr. i, and left 
instructions to let no one near him except the owner, and then I 
restricted him. On the following day pulse and temperature 
were normal, stiffness more marked. After making up a solu¬ 
tion consisting of barb, aloes, 3 ix, fl. ext. bellad., 3 ii, pulv. 
zingiber., 3 ss, tepid water q.s., Oii. I found it impossible to 
drench him, owing to trismus being more marked. I then de¬ 
cided to put him on solid ext. belladonna, placing 3 ii, three 
times a day, on the incisors and tongue with a paddle of wood 
two feet long and one inch wide. This way of administering 
was very easy, at the same time the animal getting the effect of 
the drug. Enemas were given every morning of tepid water up 
