Course. Treatment. Pulmonary Gangrene. 147 



or amphoric breathing. The picture of piihnonary gangrene 

 is frequently developed (q. v.). 



The diagnosis can be established beyond doubt only if 

 an abundant, purely purulent nasal discharge is present and 

 if we find in it on microscopical examination elastic fibers 

 (Fig. 23), fat crystals and possibly also necrotic pulmonary 

 tissue. 



Course. The disease terminates, as a rule, fatally within 

 a very short time; occasionally after only one to two weeks. 

 The immediate cause of death is usually sepsis, also sero- 

 fibrinous, purulent, sometimes gangrenous, pleurisy. Recovery 

 is very rare, but it occurs occasionally. Abscesses may become 

 encapsulated or they may break into a bronchus and finally 

 heal, as was seen several times by Jolme. It is quite difficult 

 to diagnosticate such slowly healing abscesses on the living 

 animal. 



Treatment is usually unsuccessful. In practice stimulating 

 drugs may be employed, also disinfection of the air passages 

 and pneumotomv in case of superficial al)scesses (Pansini, O. 

 M., 1907, 289). 



10. Pulmonary Gangrene. Gangraena Pulmonum. 



(Gangrenous pneumonia, foreign body pneumonia, pneumonia 

 gangrcenosa.) 



By gangrene of the lungs is meant the putrid decomposi- 

 tion, l)y saprophytic bacteria, of pulmonary tissue which has 

 previously become necrotic. 



Etiology. Necrosis of pulmonary tissue is usually brought 

 about by inflammatory processes, more rarely by injury to 

 the lungs. Putrid bronchial catarrh frequently plays a role 

 and it usually develops after aspiration (aspiration pneumonia). 

 It occurs most frequently in horses, not as frequently in cattle, 

 rarely in other domestic animals, and is then usually associated 

 with disturbances of deglutition. As the cause of the latter 

 there is usually found acute inflammation of the pharyngeal 

 mucosa or of the adjoining organs. Disturbances of degluti- 

 tion may be caused mechanically by abscesses in the pharyngeal 

 wall or in the retropharyngeal hanph glands, by tumors, for- 

 eign bodies in the pharyngeal wall or in the air sac, paralysis of 

 the pharynx, convulsions of the pharyngeal muscles (in tetanus 

 or meningitis). Any disease associated with grave disturb- 

 ances of consciousness may likewise cause aspiration. Aspira- 

 tion occurring in paralysis of the pneumogastric nerve (as, for 

 instance, in chronic lead poisoning — Thomassen) and so-called 



