SCOTTISH METROPOLITAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION. 885 
battle with its causes. If extravasation has taken place, simple pre¬ 
ventive measures, as lowering agents, will be perfectly useless, and 
will only hasten a fatal catastrophe. The end to be obtained is the 
prolongation of life, the sustentation of the vital powers, until the 
brain has accomodated itself to the altered circumstances brought 
about by the organic lesions that may have arisen, or, if no such 
lesions exist, until the exhausted nervous powers have regained 
their functions ; and, with regard to the latter point, I may draw 
your attention to a remarkable but simple physiological experi¬ 
ment, viz. the removal of a portion of a nerve from the body, 
exhausting its vitality by the aid of galvanism, and allowing it to 
rest for a certain period under favorable conditions, when its 
irritability becomes restored; if extravasation has occurred all 
devices to remove it, or to withdraw the blood from the head, are 
powerless, as shown by Munro, Abercrombie, &c. But even 
here, if the hearths action is strong, causing pressure from behind 
upon the paralysed or ruptured arteries, bleeding will be of 
essential service; but if the system is below par, or the disease 
partakes of a convulsive character, bleeding only acts as an irri¬ 
tant to the spinal cord. I would far sooner in convulsions trust 
to hydrate of chloral; and as during the exacerbation of convul¬ 
sions, we are likely to have rupture of the vessels we should do 
all in our power to decrease their intensify. 
With reference to the question of bleeding I may remark, as 
showing how men sometimes alter their opinions in such matters, 
that Gamgee in one of his earlier works says, “ above all things 
avoid bleeding/” Later he says that bleeding is sometimes to-be 
recommended. Bold cathartics, as in the first stage, should also 
be administered, followed by diffusible stimulants, such as Spt. 
iEth. Nit., acetate of ammonia, and turpentine. With regard to 
the latter agent no medicine exerts a more specific influence on 
the brain, especially when there is a tendency to convulsions; 
independently of this it acts powerfully upon the kidneys, stimu¬ 
lates the coats of the stomach and intestines, aids the cathartic 
agents, and prevents the decomposition of food in the rumen; for 
the latter purpose, too, carbonate of soda will be found useful, 
it will also preserve the fluidity of the blood and render the 
purgative agents more soluble. In this stage also I would com¬ 
mence administering nux vomica, especially if there is much 
paralysis and feebleness, for in my opinion no drug has greater 
influence for good on the sympathetic and motor nerves; it 
should be given in the form of tincture, as it is much more 
readily absorbed than the powder. 
While having recourse to these internal remedies, we must not 
forget the no less important external ones. Applications of a 
stimulating character, as fresh sheep skins (or any other which offer 
