A phenomenon in different morbid states; cerebral hyperæmia, anæmia,
congestion, inflammation, intoxication, toxin poisoning. Symptoms:
horse, ox, sheep, swine, dog. Treatment: adapted to primary disease
present, narcotic, poison, and to degree of violence. Anæsthetics,
soporifics, cerebral sedations, cold to head, eliminants, depletion or
tonics and nutritious food.
Delirium or derangement of emotional or mental functions is usually the
result of organic disease of the brain and especially of the cortical
gray matter of the cerebrum. It is seen in hyperæmia, anæmia, faults of
nutrition, intoxications and variations of temperature. The derangements
of circulation may be in the meninges or in the nervous substance. The
intoxications may be with mineral (lead, mercury), vegetable (opium,
Indian hemp, belladonna, hyoscyamus, stramonium, strychnia), or other
poisons, including the toxic products of microbes (as in pneumonia,
scalma, rabies, influenza, Rinderpest, milk sickness, Texas fever,
etc.).
_Symptoms._ These are usually an extraordinary and disorderly nervous
excitement. =Horses= take expectant or ready positions of the limbs,
plunge with feet in rack or manger, rear, turn, kick, bite, spring
violently, neigh, and push or knock the head against the wall. =Cattle=
bellow in a loud or frightened manner, attempt to kick and gore, grind
the teeth and make movements of the jaws, froth at the mouth, dash
themselves in any direction heedless of obstacles, push the head against
the wall breaking teeth or horns, and moving heedlessly against fences,
or trees, or into water or pits even to their own destruction. =Sheep=
stamp the feet, butt, bleat, work the jaws, grind the teeth, leap, and
move in a given direction regardless of obstacles. =Pigs= grunt,
tremble, champ the jaws, run against obstacles, scratch the ground with
their feet or snout and creep under the litter. They may even attempt to
bite. =Dogs= are restless, whine, move in a circle, snap at straw, bars,
doors, and other objects, and may show a disposition to bite. In all the
domestic animals these delirious symptoms may closely resemble those of
rabies. This has been particularly noticed in certain forms of
poisoning. Pascault has found this in cattle that had eaten garlic and
Cadeac in dogs that had eaten tansy.
The animals in such cases become morbid, dull, taciturn, they become
usually hypersensitive, sometimes hyposensitive, have a change of voice,
and show a readiness to resent and bite if interfered with, and even to
wander away by themselves as in rabies. On the other hand they may be
seized with lethargy and torpor as in dumb rabies, and with or without
access of convulsions may pass away in a condition of paralysis.
Among other conditions these symptoms have been found to be associated
with epilepsy, foreign bodies in the pharynx, gullet, stomach or bowels,
with intestinal parasites, or with mycotic poisoning (ergotism, smut,
the fungus of coniferous trees, etc.).
The lack of the extreme hyperæsthesia and excitability of rabies, and
usually of the mischievous disposition to bite, the presence of foreign
bodies in the mouth or gullet, and the evidence of disorder of
digestion, with costiveness, tympany, and tenderness, and the history of
the case may serve to differentiate. In cases of doubt the inoculation
of a rabbit on the brain should demonstrate the absence of rabies by the
absence of the characteristic symptoms after sixteen days.
_Treatment._ As delirium in animals is a deranged innervation from
congestion, narcotic drugs, ptomaines, etc., it must be looked on as in
most cases a mere phenomenon, pointing to a definite disease, or to a
particular intoxication, and treatment must be directed toward the
removal of the primary cause. Thus the remedial measures must be
directed in the different cases to the encephalitis, meningitis,
digestive disorders, contagious disease, or drug to which the affection
may be traced. The patient must be put in a strong enclosure or securely
tied so that he can do no harm: it will often be desirable to secure
shade or cool air, or to apply cold water or ice to the head, and to
quiet the nervous excitement by inhalations of chloroform, or ether,
rectal injections of chloral, or bromides, or full doses of hyoscine,
sulphonal, trional or tetronal. These may be pushed to the extent of
inducing anæsthesia, sleep or quiet, as the case may be, and meanwhile
other measures should be taken to eliminate the poisons, correct the
congestion, or remove the source of irritation. Anæmic cases may demand
iron and bitters, with an aliment rich and easily assimilated, while
plethoric cases may require purgation, diuresis or even bloodletting.
All noise and any cause of excitement must be carefully guarded against.