Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-10-10
Paralysis, or Palsy.

By this we understand condition in
which there is loss of muscular power
from the arrest of nervous influence;
and IN which the muscles themselves
continue uLlmpaired, but wholly or
partially cease 10 be strong and moved
by the nervous energy. Tns paralysis
OF the whole system, or what Is gener-
ally callei. palsy, seems never to occur
i'll the horse; and the paralysis of the
whole of one side, or what is called
hemiplegia, seems to be comp lratively
rare; but the paralysis of both sides of
the hinder extremity, or what is called
paraplegia, is somewhat frequent, and
occasionally very stubborn and severe.
When hemIpIegia occurs it is compare
lively mild; but, if not cured, it usually
passes into paraplegia. A palsy-struck
horse Is commonly affected first In one
or both hindlegs, walks on his fetlocks,
is scarcely able to move forward, stag
gers at every step, and eventually falls.
His disease Is essentially iDhammatory,
and may generally be traced TO a fall,
to over-working, to exposure to cold
and wet while covered with prespira-
ton, to some injury in the head, or to
the effects or mismanagement of stag
gers, The remedies are blister1ng or
mustard poulticing, warm clothing,
mash diet, frequent injections, and the
administration of sedatives or tonics;
according to circumstances and the
cause or causes. A numbness of the
limbs sometimes arises from ordinary
prolonged exposure to cold, wet wealth
er, but this must not be confounded
with palsy, and needs no special treat
ment, but it will soon go off in the
stable or other comparatively snug
situation. Paralysis of the sphincter
muscle or neck OF the bladder Is some
times induced by riding a horse hard
and not giving him time to stale; and
this causes a constant dribblIng OF the
urine, and is often styled, with refer
ence to the mere effect, to the exclusion
of reference to the cause. iDcontinence
of urine,
Palsy in cattle is sometimes very COM
mon, and at times may assume the ap-
pearance of an epizootic, and has been
known to attack numbers of animals in |
certain districts. 1t generally has the |
form of paraplegla, but occasionally at
tacks the fore legs as well as tine hind |
ones, and is usually slow in its progress |
beginning in mere debility, increas-
ing into stiffness and awkwardness of |
motion, and terminating in total loss of
the power of limb. The most frequent
causes of it are turning cattle out toe
early in the year to grass, depasturing |
on low. marshy, cold situations. driving
out hard driven COWS to search for food
during cold nights, and stewing up cat
tie in damp, ill-ventilated, ill-kept, |
filthy barns and sheds. The chief rem
edies for it are comfortable housing, |
profusion of clean litter, loosen1ng med
cines In combination with cordials, |
and, in bad cases, the free external use
of stimulating iniInent, and perhaps
the internal administration of nux vomica
and strychnine, In small and repeated
doses.
Palsy in sheep and lambs sometimes
affects every limb, and sometimes al
fects only the loins, 1t most frequently
attacks lambs, but also attacks sheep of
all ages-and parturitIon ewes that
have aborted or have had tedious and
difficult particulars. Some young lambs,
when attacked by it, die the very night
of the attack, and others lose all power
in their hind legs; and seliom recover
sufficiently from the effects of it to be-
come large and vigorous sheep. The
principal causes ofit are severe weather, |
excessive nutriment, sudden change of
food, and pressure on the brain from
the presence of hydatids. The cure for
it IN all cases, except when it arises from
hydatid pressure, Is strictly similar to
the cure Tor it in cattle; and any possi- |
bility of cure in hydatidal cases must
necessarily be contingent on the previ-
GUS reduction OF the exciting cause.-the |
removal of the tape-worm cyst if lis
location is such that it can be reached
with proper intruments. Numbness or
rheumatism arising from exposure to
severe frost has no necessary connec-
ton with palsy, and may generally be
removed by very simple and obvious
remedies.
1t is estimated that about 1000 |
freight cars are in use in this country, |