232 Vderhiary Medicine. 



ever ba used with judgment. In the early stage with a high 

 tj'pe of inflammation and fever the surface irritation ma}^ aggra- 

 vate this through sympathy ; in such cases therefore the severity of 

 the inflammation should first be moderated before using an active 

 counterirritant. In debilitated conditions, too with an altered or 

 depraved state of the blood and during the prevalence of a low 

 type of the disease, sloughing may ensue from incautious blister- 

 ing; 



The repetition of the blister is often useful, the healing process 

 going on simultaneously in the blistered surface and the dis- 

 eased lung by virtue of nervous sympathy. 



To complete recovery a course of vegetable tonics, such as gen- 

 tian, nux vomica, calumba, may be given with iodide of potass- 

 ium for a week or more. Constipation occurring during conva- 

 lescence must always be corrected by food, (bran mashes, linseed 

 gruel), injections, or oleaginous, saline, or aloetic laxatives. The 

 greatest care should be exercised to secure pure air, comfort, sun- 

 shine, good grooming and general hygiene, and to prevent over- 

 exertion during convalescence. 



In the subacute types of pneumonia the fundamental difference 

 in the treatment consists in the avoidance of all depressing reme- 

 dies and the employment of stimulants and a supporting diet from 

 the beginning. Sweet spirits of nitre and liquor of the acetate of 

 ammonia, carbonate of ammonia or salammoniac with digitalis 

 and strychnia may be used from the first. Vegetable tonics may 

 be resorted to at an early stage, peroxide of hydrogen, and when 

 expectoration is established and the fever moderated even mineral 

 tonics may be employed. Nourishing gruels, mashes, roots, 

 green food, and scalded oats may be used in turn to coax the ap- 

 petite and not to satiate. In other respects the treatment is the 

 same as for the acute. This form of the disease is liable to prove 

 obstinate and persistent, and there appears to be a greater tenden- 

 cy to complications and so called metastasis, as enteritis, laminitis 

 or rheumatoid affections of the back or limbs. These when they 

 occur must be treated as if they had arisen in ordinary circum- 

 stances, having regard meanwhile to the remaining inflammation 

 in the lungs, for that has not necessarily been quite superseded but 

 only alleviated. 



Chronic Pneumonia. This has been described but if uncom- 



