40 IDIOPATHIC OR SIMPLE FEVER. 



dition of the secretions will be obvious, the skin maintaininir 

 a rather harsh and dry character, the bowels inclined to be 

 confined, and the urine limited in amount. The temperature 

 Avill remain high for some days until defervescence occurs ; 

 there will most probably be occasional slight exacerbation of 

 the febrile symptoms, indicated by the elevation of tempera- 

 ture towards night, with remission in the morning. One 

 feature characteristic of the temperature in simple continued 

 fever deserves notice ; it is the great rapidity or suddenness 

 Avith Avhich it reaches a very high elevation, and its corres- 

 pondingly rapid decline to one moderately high. At its very 

 outset the temperature will probably be 106° F., while the fall 

 within a few hours may be 4°, the extreme height not being 

 again reached during the disease. 



Although, considering the character of its entire course, 

 simple fever in the horse may safely be regarded as continued 

 fever, there are cases Avhere it exhibits characters of the re- 

 mittent type ; i.e. that although the febrile symptoms are, as a 

 rule, continuous and steadily persistent until a marked change 

 occurs, we yet meet with cases where these symptoms suffer 

 abatement during the progress of the disease, to be again dis- 

 tinctly marked by a return to their former severity. 



Some cases move so rapidly through the various phases of 

 invasion, full development, and decline, that the pyrexial con- 

 dition has disappeared in tAvo or three days, and the only trace 

 of its existence may be a trifling amount of debility, indicated 

 by an absence of the usual vivacity and energy of movement. 

 In more persistent examples, hoAvever, the change from the 

 second stage of full development of the pyrexial symptoms to 

 subsidence or decline of the fever is obvious enough. Here 

 Ave find the skin assumes a moist and pliant condition ; it may 

 be bedcAved Avith sensible perspiration, and accompanied Avith 

 an increased discharge of urine. Such cases, hoAvever, Avhere 

 the moist condition of the skin is so visibly marked in the 

 horse, I have found are usually such as seem inclined to pass 

 rapidly through their different stages, and are not unfrequently 

 those, also, Avliere Ave find indications of the true remittent 

 type of the fever. 



At the outset of this condition of pyrexia, the animal may 

 seem seriously ill ;' the pulse increased in frequency to seventy 



