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Cases of Brain Disease Supervening on Influenza and Strangles
Cases o.f Brain D isease.
235
line of treatment was persevered with during the night, with the exception of giving small quantities of thin, boiled oatmeal gruel containing the brandy at intervals of three hours. The constipation was obstinate, and no fceces were passed for four days, when they appeared to be very hard, dark, and emitted a very fcetid smell. It was not till purging freely set in that the poor animal showed signs of regaining its strength. Another small dose of oil containing stimulants was administered, and daily thereafter the strength returned till the animal ultimately recovered, though it was very weak, and reduced from its plump condition to almost a skeleton. The post-mortem examination of the animals that died showed the lun gs engorged with very dark fluid blood; the h eart, also, and the liver contained thin dark blood; the stomach, after its contents were carefully removed, was found to be of a deep red colour, and the intestines throughout were congested in patches h ere and there. In examining the cont ents of the stomach, a number of shreds of the young hemlock plant were easily found. The bowels were distended with fcetid gas, and the odour given off from the carcases was so sickening that it was with much pressing I could ge t anyone to lend a hand in moving the bodies.
CASES OF BRAI N DISEASE SUPERVENING ON IN FLUENZA AND STRANGLES. BY F. BLAKEWAY, F .R.C.V.S., STOURBRIDGE. C ASE I.
THIS was a brown gelding, eight years old, one of a farm team. I saw this team on June 5th, when a ll were suffering from influenza; at the end of the month they were a ll at work again. On July 26th, I met these horses on the road, when the man in charge complained that the gelding was not doing well and was very dull. I prescribed tonics, rest, and a liberal diet for it. In a day or two the left eye became inflamed, and an abscess formed in the ocular ' adipose cushion at the back of the eye. This abscess was opened ; it discharged freely, and all appeared to be doing well until August 5th, when, although the appetite was
The Veterinary Journal. good, the hors e again became very dull and listless. This increased until the 8th, when the animal would press its head against the wall, inclining to one side. The pulse was oppressed, and there were marked symptoms of pressure on th e brain. On the 9th the gelding became quite comatose, fell down, and died on the 10th with scarcely a struggle. There never was any fren zy. C ASE
II.
This was a three years old colt which had Strangles, but as the owner thought it was a mild case he allowed the creature to remain at pasture. On July 29th we were requested to see it. vVe found it in a low state, with an abscess under the jaw, one or two small abscesses on the face, and a large one about midway down the neck We ordered it to be put into a loose box, to receive a liberal diet, with tonics, etc. Everything appeared to be going on well until August 6th, when symptoms of cerebral disturbance manifested themselves, and gradually increased in intensity until the colt appeared to be nearly mad. This state continued until the 9th, when the animal became quite comatose and died on the 18th. In both of these cases the condition of the brain was found on examination to be exactly the same, viz., an abscess existed on the super-anterior part of the left hemisphere of the cerebrum. The dura mater was much thickened on this side, the pia mater had disappeared, and the abscess extended to a depth of ode-third of an inch into the substance of the cerebrum. Both abscesses were broken, and laudable pus covered the whole of the left hemisphere. It is somewhat remarkable that two cases bearing such a strong resemblance to each other, should occur at the same time, and would almost lead us to suppose that there are more instances of cerebral abscess than we suspect. I am inclined to think that the severe winter and ungenial spring, t ogether with the badlyharvested hay of last year, have had much to do in giving rise to the irreg ular form assumed by Strangles and Influenza this year, particularly in agricultural districts. A question arises here as to whether cerebral abscesses occur most freql!ently in the left hemisphere of the cerebrum. All the
E xam£natio1Z
if Bursattee Matter.
237
instances that have come und er my observation have had the abscess there. I may mention that I t ook the brains intact, as well as the skulls, to the last meeting of the Liverpool Veterinary Medical Associ a tion, as I was aware that there are some members of the profession who maintain that tru e abscess in the brain n ever occurs except from injury. But the meeting had such a n abundance of interesting matter laid before it by Professor A xe, that I did not have a chance t o show my specimens.
EXAMINATION OF BURSATTEE MATTER THE LIVER OF A HORSE.
FROM
BY JOHN STEEL, M.R.C.V.S., A.V.D., I PSWI CH.
THE following concise statement may assist in eluci dating the pathology of this remarkable affection, over which much obscurity has until recently hung . The results constitute a link, almost the final one, in the chai n of evid ence as to the pa rasitic nature of the disease. We may summari se the h istory as follows:I. Observations as to clinical features by W estern, Hodgson, e tc. 2. Long period of indefinite theori sing as to tru e nature. 3. Suggestion by F. Collins, P.V.S . in Indi a, that the disease clinically seems p arasitic. 4. Assertion of the presence of a special vegetable parasite of a lgoid nature in Bursattee growths, by F . Smith, V.S., 12th L ancers. 5. (Present paper.) Observation of a fungal development from the " Specific Brown Cells " of Smith. 6 . Culture of Bursattee organism (yet to be t ried ). 7. Scientifically directed efforts to extirpa t e the disorder. The specimen of diseased liver was forwarded to me from India, p reserved in spirit. The major part of its subst ance is not diseased; but d iffused throughout it, varying in frequency in di fferen t p arts, a re very hard diseased portions, varying from the size of a mustard-seed t o that of a large g reen pea. Each mass consists of a n outer dense fibrous coating, which is
235
line of treatment was persevered with during the night, with the exception of giving small quantities of thin, boiled oatmeal gruel containing the brandy at intervals of three hours. The constipation was obstinate, and no fceces were passed for four days, when they appeared to be very hard, dark, and emitted a very fcetid smell. It was not till purging freely set in that the poor animal showed signs of regaining its strength. Another small dose of oil containing stimulants was administered, and daily thereafter the strength returned till the animal ultimately recovered, though it was very weak, and reduced from its plump condition to almost a skeleton. The post-mortem examination of the animals that died showed the lun gs engorged with very dark fluid blood; the h eart, also, and the liver contained thin dark blood; the stomach, after its contents were carefully removed, was found to be of a deep red colour, and the intestines throughout were congested in patches h ere and there. In examining the cont ents of the stomach, a number of shreds of the young hemlock plant were easily found. The bowels were distended with fcetid gas, and the odour given off from the carcases was so sickening that it was with much pressing I could ge t anyone to lend a hand in moving the bodies.
CASES OF BRAI N DISEASE SUPERVENING ON IN FLUENZA AND STRANGLES. BY F. BLAKEWAY, F .R.C.V.S., STOURBRIDGE. C ASE I.
THIS was a brown gelding, eight years old, one of a farm team. I saw this team on June 5th, when a ll were suffering from influenza; at the end of the month they were a ll at work again. On July 26th, I met these horses on the road, when the man in charge complained that the gelding was not doing well and was very dull. I prescribed tonics, rest, and a liberal diet for it. In a day or two the left eye became inflamed, and an abscess formed in the ocular ' adipose cushion at the back of the eye. This abscess was opened ; it discharged freely, and all appeared to be doing well until August 5th, when, although the appetite was
The Veterinary Journal. good, the hors e again became very dull and listless. This increased until the 8th, when the animal would press its head against the wall, inclining to one side. The pulse was oppressed, and there were marked symptoms of pressure on th e brain. On the 9th the gelding became quite comatose, fell down, and died on the 10th with scarcely a struggle. There never was any fren zy. C ASE
II.
This was a three years old colt which had Strangles, but as the owner thought it was a mild case he allowed the creature to remain at pasture. On July 29th we were requested to see it. vVe found it in a low state, with an abscess under the jaw, one or two small abscesses on the face, and a large one about midway down the neck We ordered it to be put into a loose box, to receive a liberal diet, with tonics, etc. Everything appeared to be going on well until August 6th, when symptoms of cerebral disturbance manifested themselves, and gradually increased in intensity until the colt appeared to be nearly mad. This state continued until the 9th, when the animal became quite comatose and died on the 18th. In both of these cases the condition of the brain was found on examination to be exactly the same, viz., an abscess existed on the super-anterior part of the left hemisphere of the cerebrum. The dura mater was much thickened on this side, the pia mater had disappeared, and the abscess extended to a depth of ode-third of an inch into the substance of the cerebrum. Both abscesses were broken, and laudable pus covered the whole of the left hemisphere. It is somewhat remarkable that two cases bearing such a strong resemblance to each other, should occur at the same time, and would almost lead us to suppose that there are more instances of cerebral abscess than we suspect. I am inclined to think that the severe winter and ungenial spring, t ogether with the badlyharvested hay of last year, have had much to do in giving rise to the irreg ular form assumed by Strangles and Influenza this year, particularly in agricultural districts. A question arises here as to whether cerebral abscesses occur most freql!ently in the left hemisphere of the cerebrum. All the
E xam£natio1Z
if Bursattee Matter.
237
instances that have come und er my observation have had the abscess there. I may mention that I t ook the brains intact, as well as the skulls, to the last meeting of the Liverpool Veterinary Medical Associ a tion, as I was aware that there are some members of the profession who maintain that tru e abscess in the brain n ever occurs except from injury. But the meeting had such a n abundance of interesting matter laid before it by Professor A xe, that I did not have a chance t o show my specimens.
EXAMINATION OF BURSATTEE MATTER THE LIVER OF A HORSE.
FROM
BY JOHN STEEL, M.R.C.V.S., A.V.D., I PSWI CH.
THE following concise statement may assist in eluci dating the pathology of this remarkable affection, over which much obscurity has until recently hung . The results constitute a link, almost the final one, in the chai n of evid ence as to the pa rasitic nature of the disease. We may summari se the h istory as follows:I. Observations as to clinical features by W estern, Hodgson, e tc. 2. Long period of indefinite theori sing as to tru e nature. 3. Suggestion by F. Collins, P.V.S . in Indi a, that the disease clinically seems p arasitic. 4. Assertion of the presence of a special vegetable parasite of a lgoid nature in Bursattee growths, by F . Smith, V.S., 12th L ancers. 5. (Present paper.) Observation of a fungal development from the " Specific Brown Cells " of Smith. 6 . Culture of Bursattee organism (yet to be t ried ). 7. Scientifically directed efforts to extirpa t e the disorder. The specimen of diseased liver was forwarded to me from India, p reserved in spirit. The major part of its subst ance is not diseased; but d iffused throughout it, varying in frequency in di fferen t p arts, a re very hard diseased portions, varying from the size of a mustard-seed t o that of a large g reen pea. Each mass consists of a n outer dense fibrous coating, which is