TRISMUS. 
255 
and imperfections will meet with the consideration at your hands 
which should alw r ays be extended to one in such a position. 
Before entering on a description of this disease, I wish very em¬ 
phatically to impress on my hearers the point that I have not 
written on this subject with the idea that I am in any way spe¬ 
cially fitted or competent to do so. I have not carried out any 
original investigations, neither have I made any special study of 
the trouble, and my only object in presenting it is to learn the 
views of the other members as to the pathology, treatment, etc., 
and see if they coincide with my own. 
In regard to the distribution of this disease I believe it to be 
indigenous to the Southern States, as I have never witnessed it 
in any other portion of the country. I was connected with the 
hospital of the Veterinary Department of McGill University for 
four years, and never saw a case of it while there, and were it at 
all common in the Northern or Hastern States, the progressive 
veterinarians at those sections would have shed more light on 
the subject than seems to illuminate it at present. 
It seems to be much more prevalent during the summer 
months and is seen most frequently in extremely hot weather. 
However, I have seen one or two cases during cold weather, 
but these do not seem to be of such an aggravated form and are 
more amenable to treatment. In attempting to present a theory 
as to the pathology of, or as to the cause for this trouble, I am 
at a loss to-know how to begin and can only surmise on the sub¬ 
ject and give you my theories for what they are worth. I have 
thought it probable that it w r as connected in some indirect 
wa y with some derangement of the digestive organs. That the 
central nervous system is responsible for the direct manifesta¬ 
tion of the trouble I do not think there can be any doubt, but 
the confusing part is as to how these organs become affected. 
In the majority of the cases I have seen there has been a history 
of indigestion just previous to the attack and I had thought that 
the perverted functions of these organs had in some manner 
generated a poisonous principle, be it toxine, ptomaine, or 
digestive ferment, and that the resorption of this into the system 
