44 DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 



&CUTE C£T£R<RH. 



To use the term catarrh alone, as indicative of an individual affection 

 seems unwarrantable, from its intimate attachments to a whole family of 

 diseases, distinctively classified. 



The literal meaning of the word is "to flow down," and originated in the 

 idea the ancients had with regard to that secretion especially which 

 escapes from the nose. It was believed by them that the secretion flowed 

 down out of the brain, and the theory existed until Schneider, Professor 

 in Wittenberg, published in 1 6 6 his treatise " De Catarrhis," showing the 

 falsity of this supposition. The term catarrh denoting inflammation of the 

 mucous structure accompanied by an abundant secretion of mucus , has 

 been used superadded to the name of the organ or parts involved. As 

 the plan of distinguishing inflammatory affections by the suffix "itis" has 

 become general, it is superfluous to use the terms bronchial catarrh, intes- 

 tinal catarrh etc ., when bronchitis and enteritis express as much and 

 identically the same disease. 



Acute catarrh or in plain language "a cold," is a frequent complaint 

 among dogs and often engenders the most serious diseases. 



Causation. —Physiologically the practice of "catching cold" is yet to 

 be explained. This fact has been noted as tbe result of experiments, that 

 when animals are subjected to a high degree of heat and then suddenly 

 changed to the ordinary temperature, the heat of the body sinks, not to 

 the normal degree but below it, the cause being accepted that the blood 

 vessels are paralyzed for a time by the high temperature. It will be seen 

 by this that dogs which are in winter allowed to remain in the house near 

 hot stoves, and then to go out into the cold air, show a decided predisposi- 

 tion to the disease. 



Allowing a dog a hard run and then shutting him into a cold stable or 

 kennel, his body over-heated and perspiring, it will be appreciated, is a 

 fruitful source of the disease. Damp, draughty kennels, and exposure in 

 rain storms, and similar injurious influences are often immediately fol- 

 lowed by the onset of the disease under consideration. The exertion of 

 these influences is materially greatest at times when the weather is cold 

 and moist. It is easy to understand that when these causes extensively 

 exist, the disease must also be prevalent. 



Symptom s.— Lassitude, dull and heavy manner, appetite lessened, 

 shiverings, dryness of the nose, and frequent sneezing are the earliest 

 symptoms observed. Redness and swelling of the nasal mucous mem- 

 brane soon supervene, and an increase of the secretion begins. The eyes 

 become reddened and watery, the nose hot. Fever is often associated with 

 these symptoms, and the pulse runs above tbe normal. In simple uncom- 



