LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
559 
surface of the body proceeding directly to its ultimate destination, 
they all converge to the spinal cord, and, as filaments composing 
the greater part of its superior column, pass up to and finally 
terminate in the thalami optici. 
Dr. Clutterbuck was of opinion the cause of chorea was slow 
inflammation of those parts of the brain that influenced voluntary 
motion, and that the function of sensibility remained for the most part 
unimpaired. French authorities state that softening of the middle 
lobes of the cerebrum and corpora striata produces paralysis of 
the hind extremities. If pressure or destruction resulting from 
ramollissement of these portions of the brain produce paralysis of 
the hind extremities, it is possible that irritation (such as might be 
supposed to follow or accompany a low degree of inflammation) to 
the same structures might excite in the hind extremities spasm and 
convulsive movement, which are the ordinary phenomena of irrita¬ 
tion to nervous matter which in health possesses similar functions 
to the spinal cord. 
Is the seat of shivering in the spinal cord? Dr. Elliotson says 
affections of the cord are characterised by spasm or paralysis, to the 
exclusion of cerebral participation. According to his theory, 
shivering would rather depend upon the existence of irritation 
consequent upon spinal meningitis producing abnormal contrac¬ 
tions, than upon myelitis, where paralysis to a greater or less extent 
is the resulting phenomenon. Thus, then, any local source of irri¬ 
tation, arising, may be, spontaneously or from imperceptible causes, 
to that portion of the cord whence arise the nerves supplying the 
affected muscles, would probably produce abnormal performance of 
the movements of the extremities, which would be intensified by 
general or local excitation, but I fail to see any reason why the 
perverted action should only be produced by retrograde movement. 
I venture to hope that no one has come here this evening in the 
expectation of hearing promulgated a successful method of treating 
stringhalt and shivering. Up to the present time, all the curative 
means, including surgical operations and the influence of rest, that 
have been repeatedly tried have been followed with only the one 
result—failure in more than producing temporary alleviation. True 
it is, that in a few isolated instances complete cure of both these 
diseases have occurred ; but in these it has been almost, if not wholly, 
due to fortuitous circumstances. 
Yet we should not be daunted, but, remembering that it is not 
from the soil untilled the crop is gathered, stir up our best energies 
to dispel the doubts that now obscure the pathology of the diseases ; 
then, our practice being combined with science, we may more confi¬ 
dently hope for success. 
Little need be said upon the jurisprudence of these affections. 
Although animals afflicted with either may perform their work satis¬ 
factorily for years, yet the fact of their being afiected at all with 
either must constitute them unsound. The tendency of both diseases 
is to increase with age, and it is a difficult matter to prognosticate 
to what extent they may not advance; and in many cases, where 
