568 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
this affection of mares ; and when Prof. Williams in the above 
quoted chapter advises early and abundant sexual intercourse 
as a prophylactic or remedial measure in this “hysteria” of 
mares, he certainly assumes a position that is open to severe 
criticism. 
If the gratification of sexual desires constituted a reliable 
remedial agent for the cure of hysteria, there would certainly 
be less of it in the human family, and few cases would run so 
chronic and protracted a course. 
Barnes (System. Obstetric Med. and Surg., p. 283), proba¬ 
bly defines hysteria well when he says : “ It is not too much 
to say that hysteria is an asylum ignorantice which will one day 
be closed.” I have been unable to find a place for this term 
in veterinary medicine. 
-/ 
The cases I have related go far to show that the disease is 
one following closely upon parturition, that it happens in ani¬ 
mals in prime condition, which have foaled easily ; the foals 
have lived and were quite vigorous, forcing us to the conclu¬ 
sion that the mares were heavy milkers. 
It also happens at a time in the mare's history when the 
blood has a recognized increase of water over the ordinary 
state, and my cases happened at a season when the grasses 
were very luxuriant and “ washy,” owing to heavy rains, thus 
augmenting the quantitative plethora-hydrsemia. 
It seems that a sudden change of surroundings, a change 
from freedom to the stable or harness, probably by causing 
maternal anxiety for the foal, has an essential influence in the 
immediate causation of the disease. 
The symptoms indicate a grave disturbance of the central 
nervous system, expressed for the most part in convulsions 
and spasms of the striated muscles, and I have consequent^ 
chosen to place it along with other parturient convulsive dis¬ 
eases, under the name of “eclampsia.” 
Comparing the disease of mares with the parturient 
eclampsia of woman, we find as close parallelism as can rea¬ 
sonably be expected. While the majority of cases of par¬ 
turient convulsions in women appear prior to or during labor, 
it is true that all the cases of this affection in mares which I 
