110 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



Bronchitis is liable to assume a chronic form if not properly 

 treated in the earliest stage. Remedial treatment is of little value 

 when the disease becomes chronic. 



PLEURISY. 



Pleurisy is an inflammation of the serous membrane lining 

 the chest cavity and enveloping the lungs. It is somewhat rare as 

 an independent disease, but it often complicates pneumonia; in- 

 deed, it is often due to the same germ that causes pneumonia 

 pneumococcus. It may arise from exposure to cold or wet or from 

 external violence and is usually present in some degree in cases 

 where the ribs have been fractured with or without a penetrated 

 wound. 



Symptoms. In the first stage there is great pain aggravated 

 by movement, and the animal is usually stiff as though foundered, 

 the pulse is quick and hard, the breathing abdominal, the chest 

 being fixed so far as possible, the inspiration short and jerky, the 

 expiration longer. The pain is due to the friction of the dry, in- 

 flamed pleural surfaces of the lung and chest on each other. At 

 this stage the ear detects a dry friction murmur resembling some- 

 what the sound made by rubbing two pieces of sole leather together. 

 Pressure between the ribs gives pain and usually causes the animal 

 to flinch and grunt. The muzzle is hot and dry, the mouth slimy, 

 and the secretions scanty. After a day or two the severity of the 

 symptoms is much lessened, the temperature, which during the 

 first days may have been as high as 106 F., falls to 103 or 

 104, the pain decreases, the stiffness disappears, and the patient 

 eats a little. The pulse softens, but remains quicker than normal. 

 Now, day by day the patient loses a little strength, the friction 

 sound disappears as the exudation moistens the pleural surfaces; 

 percussion now shows a horizontal line of dullness, which day by 

 day rises higher in the chest, the respiration grows more frequent 

 and labored, the countenance is anxious and haggard, the eyes 

 sink somewhat in their sockets, and in unfavorable cases death 

 occurs during the second or third week, either from asphyxia or 

 heart failure. 



In pleurisy, as in pneumonia, the elbows are usually turned 

 outward. Care must be taken to differentiate pleurisy from trau- 

 matic pericarditis (which see). In the latter condition the area 

 of dullness of the heart is much increased, and usually a splashing 

 sound is heard at each beat of the heart. Another diagnostic 

 symptom of value is that in traumatic pericarditis respiration is 

 painful, not difficult, and the respiratory rate is very much in- 

 creased on movement. In both conditions a considerable swelling 

 of the dewlap may be noticed in the later stages. 



Treatment. Give the same general care as recommended in 

 bronchitis or pneumonia. In the early stages give a febrifuge to 

 reduce the fever, as directed for pneumonia. For relief of the cough 

 give electuary formula, which will be found in the treatment of 

 laryngitis. The bowels must be kept relaxed and the kidneys se- 

 creting freely. In the stage of effusion give the following three 



