CHRONIC LARYNGITIS. 485 
During convalescence the greatest care must be taken to prevent a relapse, 
by avoiding all excitement either by stimulating food or fast exercise. 
CHRONIC LARYNGITIS may occur as the result of the acute form above 
described, or it may come on gradually, without any violent inflammation 
preceding it. In either case the symptoms are similar in their nature to 
those met with in the acute form, but less in degree. The noise made is 
not nearly so harsh, and can often hardly be heard on the most careful 
examination. The peculiar harsh, grating cough is, however, always pre- 
sent, and by it the nature of the case muy generally be easily made out. 
The disease often accompanies strangles, although in nine cases out of ten 
it is overlooked by the careless attendant. Very commonly, however, it 
makes its ravages in so insidious a manner that no suspicion is felt of its 
presence, until the horse begins to make a noise, though he must in all 
probability have shown by the cough peculiar to the complaint, that it has 
been working its way for some weeks at least. Such cases chiefly occur 
in the training stable, and are due, according to my belief, to the enormous 
quantity of oats which it is now the fashion to give to colts from the 
earliest period of their lives, increased to seven and eight feeds a day 
during the second year. Continued spirit-drinking has precisely the 
same effect upon the human being, and the harsh stridulous cough of the 
confirmed drunkard marks the existence of ulceration of the larynx, in 
the only way which he will allow it to be displayed, for he is not, like 
the horse, made to exert his powers of running, whether his wind is 
good or bad. There is, of course, a considerable difference between the 
two diseases, but there is sufficient analogy between them to explain why 
the stimulus of over-corning should affect the larynx in preference to any 
other part. It would be difficult to show the connexion between the two 
in any other way, beyond the simple fact that roaring has become general 
in an exact proportion to the prevalence of the present fashion of feeding. 
The advocates of the plan will say that though the two have come in 
together, yet it is merely a coincidence, and not a consequence, the one of 
the other ; but if it can be shown that in man a similar cause produces a 
similar effect, the argument is strengthened to such a degree as to be 
almost unanswerable. But whatever may be the cause there can be no 
doubt that the treatment is most troublesome, and often baffles the skill of 
the most accomplished veterinarian. Blistering is not so useful as 
counter irritation by a seton, which must be inserted in the loose skin 
beneath the jaw, as close as possible to the larynx. This alone will do 
much towards the cure, but no pains must be spared to assist its action 
by a cooling regimen, consisting of bran mashes, and if in the spring or 
summer, green food, or in the winter, carrots. Corn must be entirely for- 
bidden, and the kidneys should be encouraged to act freely by two or 
three drachms of nitre given in the mash twice a day. When the case is 
very intractable, the nitrate of silver may be applied to the part itself by 
means of a sponge fastened to a piece of flexible cane or whalebone. 
The mouth should then be kept open with the ordinary balling iron, and 
the sponge rapidly passed to the situation of the top of the larynx, and 
held there for a second, and then withdrawn. I have succeeded in curing 
two obstinate cases of chronic laryngitis by this plan, but some little risk 
is incurred, as in one of them imminent symptoms of suffocation presented 
themselves, but soon went off. I should not, therefore, recommend the 
application excepting in cases where all other means have failed, and in 
which there is reason to believe that the patient is likely to become a 
permanent roarer or whistler. The nitrate of silver has great power in 
