44 TREATMENT OF DISEASES 



On turning up one of the eyelids, it appeared highly congested, 

 presenting a uniform brown reddish tinge, occasioned by obstruction 

 in the capillaries and a highly carbonized state of the blood. The 

 respirations were tubulous and slightly stertorous, which signifies 

 that the lungs were not properly inflated, respiration being princi- 

 pally carried on in the passages which lead to the lungs. Stertorous 

 signifies snoring, the act of inspiration being accompanied with a 

 sort of snoring sound. 



On observing the flanks the respiration appeared labored and 

 quickened, which led some persons present to infer that the animal 

 had lung fever ; but on applying my ear to various parts of the 

 region of the chest, I became satisfied that the lungs were healthy, 

 and therefore pronounced the case as one of cerebral apoplexy, as it 

 proved to be. The flank movements, therefore, were of a purely 

 mechanical or auxiliary character. 



Peognosis. — Prognosis, which signifies foreknowledge of the 

 course, event, or termination of disease, is sometimes impossible 

 to foresee, and as regards this case, which appeared to be mild in 

 the beginning, I was unwilling to predict an issue, or rather to foretell 

 the event of the malady. 



The difiiculties in the way of predicting with any degree of cer- 

 tainty, were as follows : 1st, The animal was young and had always 

 enjoyed perfect health, never having shown the least predisposi- 

 tion to disease in any form. 2nd, Two days prior to the attack, he 

 had been driven a long distance, and on arriving at his quarters ap- 

 peared merely fatigued, and the groom noticed that his excrement 

 was coated with slime, and from these circumstances we might 

 rationally infer tbat the digestive organs were deranged ; hence the 

 brain difficulty might possibly be of a sympathetic character; and if 

 80, the patient might recover. 



I therefore informed the owner of my patient, that, if the disease 

 was merely functional, he might expect recovery ; if otherwise, the 

 disease being organic, death would surely ensue. 



Treatment and Teemination of the Case. — I administered 

 difi'usible stimulants by tlwi mouth and rectum, applied counter 

 irritants compo&ed of turpentine, oil and ammonia; the limbs were 

 rubbed with wisps of straw and then enveloped in flannel ; the region 

 of the cranium (which was very hot) was bathed with cold water. 

 Reaction took place, and the animal appeared more lively; the sur- 

 face of the body regained its normal temperature, and to all appear- 

 ance the condition of the patient was many removes from that of a 

 dying creature ; but alas for human calculation ! all at once he was 

 seized with convulsions and suddenly died. 



Autopsy. — On removing a triangular piece of the cranium (scull) 

 and its membrane, the superficial vessels of the brain appeared 

 highly congested ; on puncturing the pia mater (the membranous 

 covering proper of the brain), serum, or water, exuded, indicating 

 dropsy of the brain, and a quantity of dark colored or highly car- 

 bonized blood escaped, showing very conclusively that the cause 

 of his sudden death was rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. 



