CORRESPONDENCE. 
439 
of the functional and conductive substances of the brain from the 
pressure exerted by the fluid upon it. Compression of the brain, as 
spoken of by authors, is impossible, the brain and its appendices 
filling the entire cavity; only by atrophy of its substance can it 
become smaller. The phenomena of the disease have been quite 
well indicated bv Lafosse, and consist chiefly in sensorial disturb- 
ances; the horse is more or less, or even completely, inattentive to 
the commands given it, the ears move in an automatical manner, 
having no connection with the direction of the eyes; the latter are 
more or less expressionless; the animal frequently stands for 
hours with head in a corner of stall; if given food eats irregularly, 
frequently holding it between the teeth for minutes with no en¬ 
deavor at mastication ; prefers food from the stall floor, rather than 
from manger or rack; pays but little attention to the whip; is fre¬ 
quently almost devoid of feeling if the crowns of the feet are trod 
upon, even with all one’s weight; this is generally much more 
prominent by the anterior than the posterior extremities; if the 
limbs are placed in abnormal positions, especially crossing the 
anterior ones, or crossing the fetlock of one over the metacarpus of 
another, the animal frequently allows it to remain until it falls to 
the earth by its own weight as it were; pulse and heart retarded, 
arterial pulsation slow, but full, yet not strong, peristaltic retarded, 
appetite more or less interfered with; in some cases such horses? 
when offered drink, plunge the nose at once deep into the bucket, 
as if blind. It must be emphasized that in all this no fever is 
apparent, and as Gerlacli says, and as is necessary in all forensic 
cases, these phenomena—complex—must be more or less manifest 
and have been apparent for a certain period of time regulated oy 
law from the date of purchase and without fever or other acute 
diseases during that time to constitute a case. This period is fixed 
in Prussia at twenty-eight days; Hamburgh, four; France, Elsass, 
and Lothringen, nine; Belgium, fourteen; Saxony, fifteen; Swit~ 
zerland, twenty ; Baden, Bavaria, Hesse, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 
Hohenzollern, and Wurtenburg, twenty-one; Austria, thirty days 
from date of sale. 
In speaking of the aetiology of this condition we have only 
alluded to the same, not having time to go into this matter speck 
