EPIZOOTIC PNEUMONIA. 373 



the exudation or lymph, degenerated into a turbid fluid material 

 — the pathological milk of A-^irchow — is removed in the same 

 manner as the serous effusion, or is replaced by a fibrous struc- 

 ture, which binds the surface of the opposing parts together, 

 and constitutes adhesion. When tliis adhesion is completed, 

 the new structure becomes a part of the living body. 



Seeing, then, that the various changes are natural results of 

 the operation of a cause, the practitioner must be careful to 

 avoid doing anything that is calculated to irritate or debilitate 

 the animal body. At the same time he must be careful to keep 

 the excretory organs in a natural condition, maintain the strength 

 by appropriate diet, and allay morbid irritability by the ad- 

 ministration and application of suitable remedies. 



In the first place, the practitioner is to avoid irritating and 

 debilitating his patient. In order to accomplish this, three 

 methods of treatment now pursued by many practitioners must 

 be abandoned, namely, bleeding, purging, and counter-irritation. 



Bleeding and purging, separately or conjointly, lower the 

 animal powers, which are already too low, and prevent the 

 physiological changes from, taking place which are essential to 

 the final removal of the disease. If they do not kill in a very 

 short period of time, they cause an alteration in the inflam- 

 matory process, Mdiereby large quantities of an aplastic material 

 are formed, which, by blocking up the lung tissue, or filling the 

 cavity of the chest, cause death by suffocation ; and by their 

 debilitating influence generally render the vital powers less able 

 to resist even a mild attack of disease. 



Counter-irritation. — This is the favourite method of treatment 

 at the present time, and it is accomplished, or thought to be 

 accomplished, by the application of mustard, cantharides, or other 

 irritants to the skin of the sides and breast. It is applied on the 

 principle that no two inflammations can exist in the body at the 

 same time ; that an artificial inflammation of the skin, excited 

 by the irritant, removes or destroys that which is going on 

 within the chest. Others say that it rouses the capillary circu- 

 lation, removes congestion, &c. 



For many years I followed this method of treatment, and so 

 plausible were the arguments in its favour, that I could scarcely 

 bring myself to believe that it could do harm, although I saw 

 that many horses died even when a blister had acted. I was at 



