GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. 45 



increased, and the animal heat unnaturally elevated, and if con- 

 tinued for some time, indicates the existence of the febrile con- 

 dition. The tissues are rapidly consumed, the blood becomes 

 charged with the effete products resulting from the metamorphosis; 

 the appetite being at the same time impaired, the animal becomes 

 more or less rapidly emaciated, and if the abnormal process be 

 not arrested, naturally or otherwise, finally dies. 



The determination of abnormal heat in disease has a very 

 great importance, and to detect it practitioners have been 

 in the habit of placing their hand to the skin, and their fingers 

 within the mouth of the patient ; but the method of measuring 

 the heat by the thermometer holds a highly important posi- 

 tion, not only in cases of illness where the symptoms are 

 apparent, but more particularly in the incubative stages of 

 such diseases as glanders, pleuro-pneumonia-bovina, rinderpest, 

 and other contagious or infectious ailments. Here the early 

 recognition of disease plays an important part in preventing 

 the development and propagation of such maladies, and 

 depends much upon the use of a delicate thermometer. Wlien 

 an outbreak of such diseases as pleuro-pneumonia-bovina or 

 glanders occurs, it is very possible that out of a large herd 

 of cattle or stud of horses but one or two may present any 

 appreciable signs of disease, all the rest remaining apparently 

 healthy ; but although they may not present any signs of disease, 

 it does not follow that they are not tainted with the malady in 

 its incubative stage. It must not, however, be supposed that 

 elevation of temperature is diagnostic of any particular disease ; 

 it merely indicates the febrile condition, which of itself may be 

 due to a great variety of causes, external and internal, specific 

 and non-specific. Some practitioners are so expert as to diagnose 

 even the incubative stages of pleuro-pneumonia, by placing their 

 fingers in the mouth of the animal, and, from the elevated 

 temperature so felt, be able at once to give an opinion as to the 

 probabilities of the animal being affected, provided always that 

 the disease has already attacked others in the herd. If it be 

 possible to do this by the mere touch, how much more certain 

 and satisfactory will it be, by means of a delicate instrument, to 

 measure the degrees of temperature, and give an opinion based 

 upon conclusions derived from an exact admeasurement. 



In glanders and pleuro-pneumonia, the two contagious diseases 



