CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITIS. 
83 
Others I might mention, but as some of my readers undoubtedly 
have had cause to modify their views concerning some such subjects, 
they, perhaps, can imagine that I might confess more than I have 
already. Now how does the malady present itself compared* with the 
superficial ideas which I held concerning it. To be sure, the animal 
drags the toes, and is unsteady on the hind limbs. So he is when ready 
to fall dead from exhaustion resulting from colic or other disease. But 
are the effects of this disease not apparent in the fore limbs as well as 
in the hinder ones ? Certainly, in most cases, they are. There is the 
same lax, useless condition, proportionately, as we see in influenza, or 
other debilitating diseases, where the weakness is apparently confined to 
the hind limbs, but which really is general. Instead of local paralysis, 
have we not in such cases of spinal meningitis a general loss of muscu¬ 
lar power? In describing symptoms, the respiration is said to be nor¬ 
mal, unless it be noticed to be hurried or labored. Has it not often 
been observed to be slower than normal, and less vigorous ? 
There is manifestly an impaired condition of the digestive organs, 
a devitalized condition of the excretory organs, the heart’s action is 
modified, a general loss of vigor, and a peculiar expression of counte¬ 
nance mark the disease. The pain is not sufficient, in most cases, to 
make it noticeable that there is any, unlike the ordinary cases of para¬ 
plegia, in which the animal, particularly in fatal cases, thrashes about, 
and shows symptoms of the most intense suffering. The peculiar mo¬ 
tion, as of running like a race-horse, with the fore legs—the hind ones 
remaining immovable—in horses prostrate with that disease, is familiar 
to all practitioners. I have never seen it in spinal meningitis. 
We have in cerebro spinal meningitis, a disease distinct and differ¬ 
ent from all others. That it is produced by a specific poison, I have no 
doubt. If we had that poison we might produce the disease by inocu¬ 
lation at will. Prophylactic treatment, so far as belladonna is con¬ 
cerned, in my opinion, prevents attacks by overcoming effects of this 
poison, and not by placing the system in a condition to resist it as might 
be supposed. There are many, of course, that would not imbibe the 
poison without any treatment, and so far only, as I have said, can I see 
that prophylactic treatment prevents disease of this kind. If otherwise 
I shall be pleased to hear it explained. 
That the disease is confined to illy ventilated and badly drained 
stables, or that it prevails to a greater extent in such than in others that 
are well aired and drained, has not been my experience. The greater 
number of cases I have had this year, have been in private stables where 
