158 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY, DISEASES 



access to the mouth. If in serious cases all the symptoms become 

 aggravated, the breathing is labored, short, and quick, it usually indi- 

 cates that the inflammation has reached the breathing cells and that 

 catarrhal pneumonia is established. In this case the ribs rise and fall 

 much more than natural. This fact alone is enough to exclude the 

 idea that the animal may be affected with pleurisy, because, in pleur- 

 isy, the ribs are as nearly fixed as in the power of the animal to do so, 

 and the breathing accomplished to a great extent by aid of the 

 abdominal muscles. The horse persists in standing throughout the 

 attack. He prefers to stand with head to a door or window to gain all 

 the fresh air possible, but may occasionally wander listlessly about 

 the stall if not tied. The bowels most likely are constipated; the 

 dung is covered with slimy mucus. The urine is decreased in quan- 

 tity and darker in color than usual. The animal shows more or less 

 thirst; in some cases the mouth is full of saliva. The discharge from 

 the nose increases in quantity as the disease advances and inflamma- 

 tion subsides. This is rather a good symptom, as it shows one stage 

 has passed. The discharge then gradually decreases, the cough 

 becomes less rasping, but of more frequent occurrence, until it grad- 

 ually disappears with the return of health. 



Bronchitis, affecting the smaller tubes, is one of the most fatal 

 diseases, while that of the larger tubes is never very serious. It must 

 be stated, however, that it is an exceedingly difficult matter for a 

 nonexpert to discriminate between the two forms, and further, it 

 may as well be said here that the nonexpert will have difficulty in 

 discriminating between bronchitis and pneumonia. 



Treatment. The matter of first importance is to insure a pure 

 atmosphere to 'breathe, and next to make the patient's quarters as 

 comfortable as possible. A well-ventilated box stall serves best for 

 all purposes. Cover the body with a blanket, light or heavy, as the 

 season of the year demands. Hand rub the legs until they are 

 warm, then wrap them in cotton and apply flannel bandages from 

 the hoofs to the knees and hocks. If the legs can not be made warm 

 with hand rubbing alone, apply dry mustard. Rub in thoroughly 

 and then put on the bandages. Also rub mustard paste well over the 

 side of the chest, covering the space beginning immediately behind 

 the shoulder blade and running back about eighteen inches, and 

 from the median line beneath the breast to within ten inches of the 

 ridge of the backbone. Repeat the application to the side of the chest 

 about three days after the first one is applied. 



Compel the animal to inhale steam from a bucketful of boiling 

 water containing a tablespoonful of oil of turpentine and spirits of 

 camphor, as advised for cold in the head. In serious cases the steam 

 should be inhaled every hour, and in any case the oftener it is done 

 the greater will be the beneficial results. Three times a day admin- 

 ister an electuary containing acetate of potash (2 drams), with 

 licorice and molasses or honey. It is well to keep a bucketful of cold 

 water before the animal all the time. If the horse is prostrated and 

 has no appetite, give the following drench : Spirits of nitrous ether, 

 2 ounces; rectified spirits, 3 ounces; water, I pint. Repeat the dose 



