ACUTE CATARRHAL BRONCHITIS. 479 



diately on the action or entrance of the irritant, and are, when 

 the agent is at all active or the amount and exposure consider- 

 able, urgent and rapid in development. The accelerated 

 breathing is at once established, with the characteristic rhon- 

 chus and sibilant sounds. It is deserving of notice that this 

 mechanical irritation is occasionally followed by a condition 

 which otherwise must be considered rare in the history of 

 bronchitis in the horse, viz., that known as i^lastic bronchitis, 

 in which, as the result of the diseased action, well-formed casts 

 of the tubes may continue to block these, and induce further 

 pulmonary disease for a lengthened time. 



Treatment. — It is seldom that we are called upon to advise 

 regarding the management and medical treatment of our 

 p)atients during the incubative or very early stage of disease, 

 from which we lose the opportunity which human physicians 

 so often have of making an endeavour by free use of anodynes 

 and stimulants to cut short an attack of bronchitis. Gene- 

 rally, Avhen seen by the practitioner the horse has the bronchitic 

 attack full}' established. Here the only correct line of treat- 

 ment is that which is directed to safely guiding the animal 

 through the fever, to watch complications as they occur, and 

 to moderate excessive irritation. 



When laryngeal inflammation is an accompaniment, the 

 administration of medicines is always attended with difficulty, 

 and must be conducted with care. The compound camphor 

 and belladonna mixture already recommended in somewhat 

 similar affections will be found both grateful to the irritable 

 pharyngeal membrane, and capable of being compounded so as 

 to moderate febrile action. In addition to the moderate use of 

 this two or three times daily, from four to six drachms of 

 chlorate of potash may be allowed daily in the drinking-water. 

 When the condition of the throat and upper air-passages does 

 not interfere with the exhibition of medicine, a draught com- 

 posed of four fluid ounces solution of acetate of ammonia, 

 one fluid ounce jweet spirits of nitre, or the same quantity of 

 aromatic spirits of ammonia with forty grains of camphor and 

 one drachm of extrac;t^ of beUadonna, or half an ounce of 

 syrup or tincture of squills in ten fluid ounces of water, will 

 be found advantageous exhibited twice daily ; while, if desired, 

 a little of the electuary may be used between these draughts. 



