ACUTE PLEURISY IN THE HORSE. PLEURITIS. 



Causes, cold, damp, soils and exposures, as with rheumatism, youth, vigor, 

 heavy diet, digestion, or hepatic disorder, overexertion, perspiration and 

 succeeding chill, wading or swimming rivers, standing in snow, salted snow, 

 rain, sleet, snow, draughts between open doors and windows, clipping, cold 

 sponging of legs, tuberculosis, a common cause in man and cattle is rare in 

 horses, surface pneumonias, cancers, actinomycosis, tumors. Traumas from 

 broken rib, penetrating intercostal wound, blows, contusions, ruptured pul- 

 monary or intercostal abscess. Irritant ( infectious ) exudate suggests mi- 

 crobes. Symptoms, chill, reaction, partial sweats, pawing, pointing one 

 foot, hyperthermia, hard, jarring pulse, hurried breathing, inspiration catch- 

 ing, pleuritic ridge, uneasy movements, hacking cough, tumors and twitch- 

 ing of chest muscles, tender intercostals, grunting, friction sound, subsiding 

 with appearance of dull area below, signs of effusion, relief, dyspnoea, lift- 

 ing flanks and loins, perspirations, stocking limbs, pasty swelling on ster- 

 num, effusion of same level on both sieles, creaking sounds,- splashing, gur- 

 gling, metallic tinkling, weakness, sinking. Signs of adhesions, compres- 

 sion of lung, abscess. Duration. Lesions, early formation of false mem- 

 branes, pleuritic effusion, its composition, its color at different stages, dry 

 pleurisy, serofibrinous, sero-fibro-purulent. hydro-pneumothorax, tubercle. 

 Prognosis. Treatment, during the chill, warm air, clothing, drinks, injec- 

 tions, compresses, pilocarpin during early inflammatory stage, derivatives, 

 dry cupping, mustard, cantharides, hot water, or air, cold applications, lax- 

 atives, calmatives, anti-rheumatics, alkaline agents, with bitters, diuretics, 

 heart tonic, iodine, mercury, thoracentesis. 



Causes. Pleurisy is common in all domestic animals and es- 

 pecially so in cold, damp, exposed localities which suffer equally 

 from rheumatism. It occa.sionally extends to the fascia of the 

 limbs, the joints, or the navicular or other trochlea as a rheu- 

 matic affection. The disea.se is prevalent among young and vig- 

 orous horses, four or five years old, on stimulating feeding. 

 Here hepatic derangements and poisons, over-exertion, perspira- 

 tion and succeeding chills are especially to be .suspected. Plung- 

 ing the limbs in ice cold water as in wading a river (Fromage), 

 standing in snow and above all in salted snow, or facing a cold 

 rain, sleet, or snow when perspiring or fatigued, are recognized 

 causes. A full drink of ice cold water when freely perspiring, 

 and followed by .standing in the fro.sty air, or in a cold current in- 

 doors. Exposure unblanketed after clipping in winter (Field, 



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