Diseases of the nervous system are not yet clearly understood, even by the shining lights of the medical profession, and consequently the best informed are often at fault when diagnosing the case of a human patient. How much greater then is the difficulty when we attempt to alleviate the sufferings of a dumb animal afflicted with any nervous affection. In many cases we can only follow the customary practice by guessing at the cause and experimenting with remedies until the patient is beyond hope, or we chance to hit upon the proper one, or nature works a cure.

While the immediate cause of many nervous affections may be apparent, it is often the case that there is no clew whatever to the cause, nor a single guide that will assist us in determining the seat of the trouble. This is sometimes the case in attacks of paralysis, and then the task of diagnosing the trouble is difficult.

The causes that produce paralysis are many and varied, and the removal of the cause will generally effect a cure. In cases of severe injury to the organs affected, however, recovery is often doubtful, and in some cases the result is death or permanent disability. Healthy, vigorous animals are seldom afflicted with paralysis, unless it arises from injury, and, except the injury be serious, they have vitality sufficient to speedily throw off the trouble; but when the frame is enfeebled by disease or lack of proper food and care, even apparently slight attacks are often disastrous in result.

Puppies, when teething, are often subject to partial or complete paralysis of the hinder parts, especially if they are not in a healthy condition. A tendency to these attacks is induced by their feverish state, and often by the presence of inflammation in the tissues that are adjacent to the nerves or spinal cord.

As a sequence to distemper, an attack of paralysis is a dangerous complication, as it is usually an indication of serious affection of the spinal cord, and when the attack is a severe one complete recovery is extremely doubtful.

Constipation and worms are frequently the causes of paralysis. It will at once disappear upon their removal. Disease of the brain or spinal cord, or blows upon or near the spine, will produce it.

In the treatment of paralysis bear in mind that it is not a disease, but a symptom of disease, which is possibly located at some distance from its apparent seat, and consequently local applications of embrocations, liniments, etc., in many cases cannot possibly be of benefit. Gentle friction with the hand, always taking care to rub with the hair, will be of benefit in long-continued trouble, by assisting the circulation and preventing the wasting away of the limbs.

In its milder forms the trouble usually yields readily to treatment which consists of removing the cause.

The patient should have plenty of nutritious and easily digested food, careful nursing, plenty of pure air; and exercise if able to walk, but if unable to do so, the muscles of the limb should be exercised two or three times daily by taking hold of and working the limb in the same manner that it would move when walking.

If the animal is in any way reduced, a tablespoonful of cod liver oil may be given with his food two or three times a day. The same treatment is advised in severe cases, paying particular attention to building up and strengthening the system, and improving the general health; as nature, if assisted by nutritious food and good nursing, will do more for the patient than the most potent drug.

If the trouble does not yield to the treatment, and more powerful remedies therefore seem to be necessary, strychnine or arsenic may be given, but always under the eye of an experienced veterinarian or physician. In treating with these powerful drugs it is all-important that they should be administered by some one who is well acquainted with the effect produced by them, in order to accurately determine just the proper quantity to administer.

Chorea is an affection of the nerves. It is not well understood, and in long-established cases it is very rarely cured. It is characterized by an irregular twitching or spasmodic contraction of the muscles, usually of one limb, or of the neck or under jaw. In very young dogs, especially if they are constitutionally strong and vigorous, all indications of the trouble will usually disappear with the return of health. It is obvious, therefore, from the course and characteristics of the disease, that the treatment should be exclusively confined to the improvement of the bodily health by the use of nutritious and easily digested food.

and watchful care to see that the patient is not exposed to sudden changes, or to anything of a nature to irritate the nerves. Careful nursing is required, and, above all, he should have plenty of fresh air and all the exercise that he can bear without fatigue.

Nearly all writers upon the subject admit that in many cases the disease is intractable, yet many of them confidently advise the use of powerful remedies; while some of them, with an assurance not warranted by their previous admission, insist that these powerful agents will accomplish a cure.

Experience has taught me that all such medicine is harmful in most cases of this nature, when administered by the layman. While it is true that powerful tonics may be of benefit in isolated cases, may it not be equally true that milder medicine of the same nature would do its work much more effectively? In this disease everything, of whatsoever nature - whether it be medicine, food, treatment or surroundings - that tends to irritation of the nerves of the patient is certainly harmful, and under all circumstances should be carefully avoided.

Men or animals which are constitutionally strong and vigorous will occasionally survive and fully recover, in spite of an ignorant quack, improper medicine or pernicious treatment; and then, forsooth, they are set up as living monuments, attesting the skill of the one and the efficacy of the others.