INFLUENZA. 235 



stage the patient may be so prostrated, as to require the assistance of 

 several men to remove him to a loose box. 



With care and good nursing the threatened attack may probably pass 

 off in a few days. 



The discharge of purulent matter from the nose in the early stage is a 

 good sign, and indicates that the disease is becoming milder. Favorable 

 progress is also marked by the urine being discharged more frequently 

 and in greater quantities and not so highly coloured, and by the dung 

 becoming of a proper consistency and soft, instead of being voided in 

 pellets. A slight tendency to oedema in this stage is also a favorable 

 sign. It is one of nature's means of giving relief, and often prevents the 

 occurrence of mischief in important internal organs. But in the later 

 stages it is a symptom of the inability of nature any longer to continue 

 the conflict with the disease. 



Should the disease, whether it has commenced in the one way or the 

 other, not take a favorable turn, the mucous membranes will become 

 seriously involved. This will be indicated by the Schneiderian mem- 

 brane being heightened in colour. The discharge from the nose, instead 

 of being purulent, will be suppressed and scanty, or it may be serous and 

 straw coloured. The throat will become sore, as indicated by a difficulty 

 in swallowing even water. The breathing becomes quickened, and the 

 patient may cough somewhat frequently. The suppressed character of 

 the cough points to the mucous membrane of the bronchise being in- 

 volved. 



In other cases an unfavorable turn is indicated by the occurrence of 

 fits of shivering, by the breathing being somewhat embarrassed, by the 

 pulse being increased in frequency and very small in volume. The fits 

 of shivering may or may not recur. Profuse perspiration sometimes 

 supervenes on the rigors, and always temporarily relieves the breathing. 



If the patient's constitution is good, a favorable change may be ex- 

 pected. 



If the attack at this juncture does not take a favorable turn, the sym- 

 ptoms will probably become more intense, and pneumonic, hepatic, 

 cardiac or enteric complications may set in. The membrane of the nose 

 may become mulberry red, and in very bad cases the discharge may be 

 tinged with streaks of blood. In some cases there may be a discharge 

 of muco-pus from the eyes. The legs often swell, and there may pro- 

 bably be swellings in the sheath and under the belly. A tendency to 

 O3dema often exists about the larynx and glottis, and serum may be 

 effused into the air cells or into the parenchymatous structure of the 

 lungs, or along the spinal cord, or in the ventricles of the brain. The 

 animal may wander unconsciously round his box, and look at his sides 

 and paw occasionally with his forefeet as though in pain. 



At this stage the disease often assumes an intermittent form, and the 

 patient alternately gains strength for a time and relapses. Even if the 

 patient survives, chronic cough, defective respiration, skin disease, rheu- 

 matism or paralysis are often after-results of such extreme developments 

 of Influenza. 



