Pulmonary Emphysema— "Heaves." 



Common as this condition is in veterinary patients 

 it is doubtful whether there is a condition which is 

 treated in a more careless and empirical manner. 



In the first place it is customary with most prac- 

 titioners to treat all dyspnea of a chronic nature re- 

 ferrable to the thoracic cavity as pulmonary emphy- 

 sema. It is chiefly for this reason that the various 

 treatments in vogue for the relief of this condition are 

 so uncertain in results. 



Unless the patient in question is under observation 

 for a long time or, unless an intelligent history of the 

 case can be obtained, pulmonary emphysema can be 

 diagnosed only by careful auscultation and percussion ; 

 a proceeding to which the general practitioner resorts 

 but rarely. A diagnosis arrived at by mere inspection 

 of the inspiratory movements and expiratory spasm of 

 the abdominal muscles is of no value from a stand- 

 point of treatment. 



True pulmonary emphysema is, of course, incur- 

 able. Intelligent treatment, however, can do much 

 towards enhancing the value of the patient as a serv- 

 iceable animal. More than this, our knowledge of the 

 pathology of the disease forbids us to expect. And 

 in this lies the point of value in careful examination. 



Knowing that in a case of true pulmonary emphy- 

 sema we can give our client little or no encouragement 

 of cure, it is little short of criminal from a professional 

 standpoint to err, through fault of a superficial exam- 



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