LAKSHMI SAHAI                                 347

                                TREATMENT

Routine treatment with potassium iodide, Nux Vomica, arsenic, etc., com-
bined with other symptomatic treatment was carried out in all cases but
without any beneficial results. Two horses (Nos. 8 and 13) in which the
attack was relatively mild recovered but recovery in these animals may
have been spontaneous rather than due to any treatment adopted.

On the assumption that the trouble might prove to be encephalomyelitis
(of virus origin), before the results of transmission experiments were known,
the treatment of all the affected animals was carried out on the lines adopted
by Mosley, Heane and Shirlaw [1934] in the Multan outbreak but without
any appreciable benefit. Cases which occurred subsequently were also treated
in the same way. This treatment was as follows :—

About a pound of mag. sulph was administered per stomach tube and at the
same time the animal was given an enema and catheter passed if there was
any evidence of retention of urine. This was repeated as often as necessary.
Small quantities of mag. sulph (4 oz.) were given daily on subsequent days.
Injections of hexamine in doses of 25 grm. dissolved in about 60 c. c. of water
were given intravenously on six consecutive days. Forced exercise was given
daily to all animals that could walk.

By the time this treatment could be carried out horses Nos. 12 and 52
had already died. The Commandant's horse, which was the worst affected
at the time, showed some improvement in the beginning but later the condi-
tion relapsed and the animal had to be destroyed, when it could no longer
stand even with the support of slings. In the less severely affected cases also
there was no improvement.

Trials carried out with the hexamine treatment in the 1937-38 outbreak
showed that the drug is of some value especially in the earlier stages, as a
surprisingly quick recovery was obtained in some cases following the adminis-
tration of this drug, but on the whole it may be stated that once the symptoms
have become established and definite degenerative changes have occurred
in the central nervous system the prognosis is bad and there is no specific
remedy that could be relied upon to effect a cure.

                     POST MORTEM FINDINGS

Post mortem examination was carried out on nine horses, of which two
had died naturally and seven had been destroyed because there appeared no
hope of their recovery. They may be classified as three acute and six subacute
cases.

Briefly speaking, it may be stated that the post mortem findings in all those
animals less severely affected were almost of an entirely negative character,
but definite lesions were seen in the more acute cases. These consisted of
petechial haemorrhages on the serous membranes, on the surface of the spleen,
in the endocardium (one case) and on the serous coat of the large intestine.