534 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



wliile sensitive in the acute swelling of farcy. The nodes of farcy 

 are distinct and hard and never circumscribed, as in the other dis- 

 ease. The eruption of glanders on the mucous membranes is nodu- 

 lar, hard, and pelletlike. The redness disappears on pressure. In 

 case of excessive swelling of the head in anasarca, there may occur 

 an extensive serofibrinous exudation from the mucous membranes of 

 the nose, poured out as a semifluid mass or as a cast of the nasal 

 fossae, never having the appearance or typical oily character which 

 it has in glanders. The inflammation of the lymphatic cords and 

 glands in anasarca does not produce the indurated character which is 

 found in farcy. 



Prognosis. — While anasarca is not an excessively fatal disease, the 

 prognosis must alwa^^s be guarded. The majority of cases run a 

 simple course and terminate favorably at the end of 8 or 10 days, 

 or possibly, after one to two relapses, requiring several weeks for 

 complete recovery. Efl'usion into the head renders the prognosis 

 much more grave from the possible danger of mechanical asphyxia. 

 Threatened mechanical asphyxia is especially dangerous on accoimt 

 of the risk of blood poisoning after an operation of tracheotomy. 

 Edema of the viscera is a most serious complication. The prognosis 

 is based on the complications, their extent, and their individual grav- 

 ity, existing, as they do here, in an already debilitated subject. 



TreatTnent. — The treatment of anasarca may be as variable as are 

 the lesions. The indications are at once shown by the alterations and 

 mechanism of the disease, which we have just studied. 



Hygiene comes into play as the most important factor. Oats, oat- 

 and-hay tea, milk, eggs — anything which the stomach or rectum can 

 be coaxed to take care of — must be employed to give the nutriment, 

 which is the only thing that will permanently strengthen the tissues; 

 they must be strengthened in order to keep the capillaries at their 

 proper caliber. 



Laxatives, diaphoretics, and diuretics must be used to stimulate 

 the emunctories so that they may carry off the large amount of the 

 products of decomposition which result from the stagnated effusions 

 of anasarca. Of these the sulphate of soda in small, repeated doses, 

 the nitrate of potash and bicarbonate of soda in small quantity, or 

 the chlorate of potash in single large doses will be found useful. 

 Williams cites the chlorate of potash as an antiputrid. Stimulants 

 and astringents are directly indicated. Spirits of turpentine serves 

 the double purpose of a cardiac stimulant and a powerful, warm diu- 

 retic, for the kidneys in this disease will stand a wonderful amount 

 of work. Camphor can be used with advantage. Coffee and tea are 

 two of the diffusible stimulants which are too much neglected in 

 veterinary medicine; both are valuable adjuncts in treatment of 

 anasarca, as they are during convalescence at the end of any grave 



