880 SCOTTISH METROPOLITAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION. 
they may be also sudden or slow in their invasion. In some 
instances animals falling down, with, to the uninitiated, scarcely 
any warning, as though shot. At other times symptoms may be 
shown for some hours before the actual attack, and it is of great 
importance that these symptoms should be closely watched for, 
as to be forewarned is to be forearmed. 
The early local symptoms, are an uneasy appearance of the 
animal, irregularity of the bowels, decrease in lactation, loss of 
affection for offspring, stiffness and uncertainty in the move¬ 
ments. The general, are loss of appetite, slightly accelerated 
breathing and circulation, with irregularity of temperature. 
The precursory symptoms are soon followed by more decided 
ones, constituting those of the first stage, viz. pulse raised to 
about 80 or 90; sometimes wiry and hard, at other times bound¬ 
ing and full, at others soft and easily compressible, depending 
upon various circumstances: breathing hurried, greater sup¬ 
pression of lacteal secretion, violent constipation, injected 
mucous membranes, a peculiar wild staring appearance of eye (at 
other times a heavy dull appearance with depression of head) 
with head held erect and ears pricked; tremors, especially of the 
muscles of hind extremities; total loss of affection for offspring; 
alternate plucking up of hind legs, with a jerking or spasmodic 
action simulating stringhalt; cold extremities, hot mouth, knuck¬ 
ling over of hind fetlocks, and, when made to move, the animal 
does so with a staggering, uncertain gait, and evident anxiety. 
Second Stage .—Pulse becomes oppressed and irregular, breath¬ 
ing hurried, animal reels to and fro, pitches head-forwards, and 
bellows, (probably due to some sudden painful impression made 
on the nerves, or from a feeling of insecurity) makes ineffectual 
attempts to preserve her equilibrium, and finally rolls over with a 
groan, as helpless, in some instances, as a log of wood; in other 
cases regaining her feet for a few minutes, and making vain efforts 
to prevent herself falling. 
Third stage .—All the unfavorable symptoms—lashing of tail, 
throwing head violently back to side, gnashing of teeth, some¬ 
times champing of jaws, groaning, pulse gradually becoming 
imperceptible and the breathing stertorous, loss of sensibility in 
hind extremities, constipation more marked, the scybala or fseces 
being covered with bloody mucus, paralysis of sphincter vesicm 
and retention of urine, meteorismus or distension of the rumen 
with gas, cold perspirations, intensely cold extremities, coma, 
dysphagia, or difficult deglutition—become intensified, violent 
exacerbation supervening, especially if the disease partakes of a 
convulsive character, in which case occasional and partial restora¬ 
tion of the senses may occur, the animal relapsing into coma at 
intervals. 
