The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-04

cases are of very frequent occurrence.
In cattle and the smaller animals the
disease is more rarely met with. This
disease is one of the oldest and, on
account of its distressing symptoms aud
its fatal termination, one of the most
dreaded. It occurs more in warm than
in temperate OF cold countries, and in all
countries it is more frequent in summer
than in winter. In this State it is much
oftener met with than in the Northern
States. The reason for this will be motto.
ed when speaking of the cause of the
disease.
THE CAUSE OF THE DISEASE.
Tetanus is usually described as trau-
matte i. 9. resulting from wound on
some part of the body, and idiopathic
when it occurs without obvious cause.
Most cases observed follow visible
wound, and We now suppose that the
few cases which do not follow visible
wound are the result of a wound not
visible. This makes all cases traumstic.
Recent Investigations in regard to the
exciting cause of the tronble indicate
that infection always takes place through
wound. Not only are accidental in.
juries followed by tetanus, but many
surgical operations as we'll. Why wounds
in certain regions and certain operations
are more liable then others to be follow
ed by the disease has until recently been
a mystery.
The disease in men most frequently
occurs from wounds Of the feet, knees
and hands. In the horse and mule
punctured wounds of the feet are the
most dangerous. As an example may
be mentioned punctured wounds of the
feet, caused by treading on old nails.
!"Sticking 1ail in the foot" is pat, of
the history of the most of the cases of
tetanus in these animals. In general We
find that punctured wounds wounds
penetrating deeply into t. tissues) and
wounds accidental or su.sicaii which
are apt, from their location, to come in
contact with the soil or litter of any
kind, are those usually followed by the
disease. Tetanus may very properly be
called nervous trouble. Thesymptoms
indicate deranged function Of the ner.
vous system. Instead Of the muscles
receiving only sufficient amount Of
nerve stimulous to cause them to perform
their ordinary work, sufficient amount
reaches them to keep them in spasmodic
state of contraction.
SYMPTOMS OF LoCKJAW.
This gives rise to peculiar symptoms
which are easily recognized by most
horse men. The symptoms appear few
days after the infiction of the injury,
usually from the fourth to the fourteenth
day. Very often the wound is slight and
almost healed before the first symptom
occurs. There is usually q stiffness in
the muscles near the seat of the injury
| Soon this extends to other muscles and
eventually the whole muscular system
becomes involved. The muscles of the
head become affected early and the ami.
NAL has then great difficulty in working
the jaws. Saliva flows from the mouth
swallowing is performed with difficulty
and soon the jaws become SO set that the
animal cannot eat at all. At this stage
the eyeballs are drawn within the SOCK
cts, causing the hair to show in the cor
ner of the eye. The neck is so stiff that
the head cannot be moved from side tc
side nor lowered to the ground, The
breathing is accelerated, the nostrila
dilated, the tail is kept elevated and
works like pump handle if the animal
be disturbed. If made to walk, the
movements are performed with grea
deal of difficulty. Although the spas
modic contraction of these muscles i!
continuous the amount of muscular con
traction is not at all times the same. /
the animal be suddenly disturbed by {
strong light, noises, etc., paroxysms o
great severity occur. These symftom
continue to increase in severity. Th'
muscles of respiration become involved
and the animal dies about the sixth tt
tae ninth day from sufocation caused by
spasm of the muscles of the throat ant
diaphragm. When recovery takes plac
the spasms become gradually less sever
until they disappear in about six weeks
TIE REAL SEAT OF THE DISEASE.
Post-mortem examination reveals
congested condition of the large nerV
trunks. the brain and spinal chord
Until recently the symptoms of tetanu
have been supposed to be due to nervou
irritation in tho wound The woun
was thus supposed to be the excitin
cause of the disease. We now kno'
that the wound only serves as the mean
for the entrance into the tissues of th
disease germs, which are the true cause
archaeological research has proven th'
many diseases are due to minute livin
organisms or germs called bacteri'