ACUTE DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 207 



Water, in which a drachm and a half of chlorate of potass or half an 

 ounce of nitre should be mixed, should always be within reach. 



Steaming of the head with the vapour arising from boiling water 

 poured on hay in a bucket is generally very beneficial. If there is much 

 irritability of the membrane, it will be advisable to sprinkle a little 

 chloroform or ether on the hay. The patient will inhale it along with 

 the steam. In many cases the effect of this treatment in allaying irrita- 

 tion is very marked. 



The warmth of the body must be maintained by clothing, and the legs 

 should be wrapped in flannel bandages. At intervals according to the 

 circumstances of the case the bandages should be removed, and hand- 

 rubbing applied until warmth is restored. Other minutiae essential to the 

 patient's comfort have been already detailed in Chapter No. 15 on Good 

 Nursing. The great majority of cases will yield to the above treatment. 



420. Further Treatment. 



If the above remedies fail in arresting the attack, it will be advisable 

 to apply a blister of biniodide of mercury over the larynx and extending 

 halfway down the trachea. 



In very bad cases the swelling of the parotid glands and the oedema of 

 the rima glottidis is sometimes so great, especially when the disease is 

 complicated with strangles, as to cause imminent danger of suffocation. 

 Relief must then be sought by the operation known as Tracheotomy. If 

 abscesses form and point internally, they may require to be laid open. 



421. Signs of recovery. 



The first sign of recovery is a slight mucous discharge from the nostrils, 

 indicating that the inflammatory action is subsiding. There will also be 

 some slobbering of saliva at the mouth, and the cough will become 

 softer ; and the mucus discharged from the inflamed surfaces will be 

 coughed up and got rid of partly by the nose and partly by the mouth, 

 and in due time the cough will cease. The swelling of the parotid glands 

 and of the glands under the jaws will also gradually subside. The con- 

 comitant fever mentioned above will cease of itself, along with the irrita- 

 tion which produced it. 



422. After-treatment. 



The after-treatment will need much care and attention. Some deposit 

 on or thickening of the membrane generally remains after the attack has 

 subsided, which may cause the horse to become a roarer ; and in order to 

 assist nature to remove it and thereby lessen the chance of any affection 

 of the wind, it is advisable to apply a strong blister of biniodide of 

 mercury, or to insert a seton. The patient should remain in a cool loose 

 box until all irritation has completely passed away. 



Again, when the horse is thoroughly convalescent the owner must not 

 be in a hurry to get him into fast work, because the membrane of the 



