SIMPLE PNEUMONIA IN THE HORSE. 



tea, etc., may be given. The patient should have constant access to 

 chilled water or gruel ; perfectly cold water is sometimes injurious. If 

 it eats little, and will not touch ordinary food, milk may be prescribed. 

 Most horses take milk readily to the extent of six, eight, or ten quarts per 

 day. Some, however, refuse it, and will not swallow even a mouthful, 

 appearing to have a distaste for it ; but, after a little patience, end by 

 taking it well. The attendant should hold the animal's head, bring 

 the bucket containing the milk near its mouth, and introduce a little 

 by means of the hand. This may be repeated several times, and the 

 milk then be offered in the bucket. If the horse will only swallow a 

 little he very often ends by emptying the bucket at a draught, and 

 afterwards makes no difficulty about taking it. To starve cases of 

 pneumonia (as is still done by many practitioners) is a mistake. They 

 should, on the contrary, be carefully fed and their strength sustained 

 with such foods as they seem most to like. 



A first case of pneumonia should not necessarily be regarded as 

 sporadic, to the exclusion of prophylactic measures. It is always better 

 to isolate the animal, especially if other young horses are in the same 

 stable. 



I do not recognise any specific treatment of pneumonia. The 

 management of the case varies according to the animal's constitution, 

 the intensity and stage of the disease, the degree of fever, and the 

 predominance of particular symptoms. 



Bleeding, again revived at the present day in the treatment of 

 pneumonia in man, has never been entirely abandoned in veterinary 

 practice. It may prove of real service by its double mechanical and 

 chemical action. During the hepatisation stage of pneumonia especially 

 the greatest danger is often to be found in the condition of the heart. 

 In consequence of the obliteration of vessels in the hepatised area the 

 right heart finds its work greatly increased ; it may falter, and even 

 succumb. The removal of three to six quarts of blood, depending on 

 the animal's weight, diminishes the circulatory disturbance and assists 

 the heart, which beats more easily. In addition to this purely 

 mechanical effect bleeding has two others, not less valuable. In 

 patients in which the blood is greatly vitiated by the presence of 

 microbic poisons, bleeding before the crisis removes from the circulation 

 a notable amount of these poisons, at the same time increasing the 

 bactericidal power of the serum ; and if supplemented by injection of the 

 chemical solutions of which I shall shortly speak, this antitoxic action 

 is favoured. Furthermore it is proved that bleeding increases oxida- 

 tion processes, and thus assists in eliminating poisons from the blood 

 and tissues. But to pretend that removal of blood can check the 



