Text book of veterinary medicine, Volume 3 (of 5)Law, James
Science
Text book of veterinary medicine, Volume 3 (of 5)
Law, James
Veterinary medicine
=Question of Soundness and Jurisprudence.= Manifestly a horse or bull
subject to attacks of epilepsy is _not sound_. It is moreover a disease,
the symptoms of which are only shown for a very short period at one
time, after a long interval of apparently perfect health. It is,
therefore, a disease against which a purchaser cannot be expected to
protect himself and he should have the right to annul the sale and
return the animal in case the infirmity should appear within a
reasonable period after purchase. This is provided for in the laws of
different countries of Europe, thus in Wurtenberg, Baden and Hesse, a
purchased animal may be returned within 28 days; in France within 30
days, and in Bavaria within 40 days. The greatest difficulty arises from
the frequent impossibility of obtaining expert testimony on a seizure
which is likely to occur at any moment, without premonition, and in
which the testimony of a non-expert may easily be misleading. It seems
as if complaint having been made within the specified legal time, an
extension of guarantee should be given by the court, the animal to be
meanwhile kept under the supervision of a veterinarian.
Another question has arisen as to the position of an animal suffering
from reflex epilepsy. If the attacks are caused by intestinal worms or
nasal acarina which are easily removed, it is quite evident that this
cannot be considered as a permanent unsoundness, and one for which a
contract of sale can be justly annulled. But on the other hand, while
the eccentric source of irritation which is easily curable may have been
the active agent in developing the seizures, it may be none the less
true that the central infirmity which determines the abnormal
susceptibility, to excessive generation and epileptic explosion of
nervous force, may also be present and the animal cannot be considered
as _sound_ until a sufficient length of time has elapsed after the
removal of the peripheral irritation and no new seizure has taken place.
_Treatment of Symptomatic Epilepsy._ In cases due to an eccentric
irritant the first step must be the removal of such irritant. In case of
intestinal worms the various vermicides and tæniacides must be resorted
to. (See Intestinal Parasites). For the linguatula tænioides the
injection of benzine or tobacco water into the nose, or into the
sinuses, with or without trephining may be resorted to. In diseased
teeth extraction or filling may be demanded. In dentition irritation,
lancing of the gums. In all other cases in which a peripheral nervous
irritation can be traced every available means should be taken to remove
it.
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