DISEASES OF HORSES 43 



toms are similar to those of a commencing pericarditis. The local 

 symptoms are those of pain, especially to pressure on side of the flanks 

 and belly ; distension of the latter, and sometimes the formation of 

 flatus, or gas, and constipation. Other occasional complications are 

 nephritis, hepatitis, inflammation of the flexor tendons and rupture 

 of them, and abscesses. 



Diagnosis. The diagnosis of influenza is based upon continued 

 fever, with great depression and symptoms of stupor and coma; the 

 rapidly developing, dark-saffron, ocher, yellowish discoloration of the 

 mucous membranes, swelling of the legs and soft tissues of the geni- 

 tals. When these symptoms have become manifested the diagnosis 

 of a local complication is based upon the same symptoms that are 

 produced in the local disease from other causes, but in influenza the 

 local symptoms are frequently masked or even entirely hidden by 

 the intense stupor of the animal, which renders it insensible to pain. 

 The evidence of colic and congestion, which is followed by diarrhea, 

 indicates enteritis. The rapid breathing or difficulty of respiration 

 points to a complication of the lungs, but, as we have seen in the 

 study of the symptoms, the local evidences of lung lesions are fre- 

 quently hidden. Again, we have seen that inflammation of the feet, 

 or founder, complicating influenza is frequently not shown on ac- 

 count of the insensibility to pain on the part of the animal, which 

 indicates the importance of running the hand daily over the hoofs 

 to detect any sudden elevation of temperature on their surface. 



The diagnosis of brain trouble is based upon the excessive vio- 

 lence which occurs in the course of the disease, for during the inter- 

 vening period of coma there is no means of determining that it is 

 due to this complication. Severe cases of influenza may simulate 

 anthrax in the horse. In both we have stupor, the intense coloration 

 of the mucous membranes of the eyes, and a certain amount of 

 swelling of the legs and under surface of the belly. The diagnosis 

 here can be made only by microscopic examination of the blood.. In 

 strangles, equine variola, and scalma we have an intense red, rosy 

 coloration of the mucous membranes, full, tense pulse, and, although 

 in these diseases we may have depression, we do not have the stupor 

 and coma except in severe cases which have lasted for some days. 

 In influenza we have no evidence of the formation of pus on the 

 mucous membranes as in the other diseases, except sometimes in the 

 conjunctiva? of the eyes. 



In severe pneumonia we may find profound coma, dark yellow- 

 ish coloration of the mucous membranes, and swelling of the under 

 surface of the belly and legs ; but in pneumonia we have the history 

 of the difficulty of breathing and an acute fever of asthenic type from 

 the outset, and the other symptoms do not occur for several days; 

 while in influenza we have the history of characteristic symptoms for 

 several days before the rapid breathing and difficulty of respiration 

 indicate the appearance of the complication. Without the history it 

 is frequently difficult to diagnose a case of influenza of several days' 

 standing, complicated by pneumonia, from a case of severe pneu- 

 monia of five or six days' standing, but from a prognostic point of 



