COURSE AND COMPLICATIONS. 249 



one and the same morbific agent or specific poison, in their 

 appearance seem to be regulated by no fixed law which we can 

 discover as to the time of their occurrence. 



It seems highly probable that they are more frequently seen 

 and developed during the course of the fever than delayed 

 until defervescence of pyrexia and amelioration of local phe- 

 nomena. When not proving fatal from their severity or extent, 

 they are apt by structural changes to ensure confirmed ill- 

 health and inability to perform ordinary work. 



Treatment. — In the treatment of rheumatism, especially of 

 the acute form, blood-letting has almost invariably been 

 resorted to. This has been thought to be indicated by the 

 urgent febrile symptoms, the character of the pulse, together 

 with the extra fibrinogenous condition of the blood, a condi- 

 tion which we know is in health rather increased than dimin- 

 ished by blood-letting. 



Now, although I have noticed its employment result in the 

 immediate abatement of certain prominent sj'^mptoms, there 

 are yet objections to it, founded on its ultimate results, which 

 militate against its employment in any save young animals in 

 vigorous health and full habit of body, and even then only 

 sj)aringly. The early and free abstraction of blood has by 

 some been spoken against because of its tendency to favour 

 the development of cardiac symptoms, which all dread so much. 

 For my own part, I have not observed this tendency, but have 

 noticed that although immediate relief has followed its em- 

 ployment, this relief has been only temporary, and was gene- 

 rally followed by an increased severity of symptoms coinci- 

 dent with the reaction. In all cases good will result from 

 getting the bowels early under the action of a mild saline 

 purge, and being afterwards kept moist by the diet or some 

 appropriate medicine. Considering the nature of the altera- 

 tions in the blood, alkalies and neutral salts would appear 

 indicated, and practically they are of the greatest benefit. 

 They are best administered as the bicarbonate or nitrate of 

 potass, and when the thirst is considerable are readily enough 

 taken dissolved in the drinking-water. For the production 

 of their desired action they ought at first to be given in full 

 doses, and frequently. 



For foals, from one to three drachms of each salt, according 



