NAUSEOUS EFFLUVIA. SIGNS OP DISEASE. APPEARANCR 35 



norse. Immediately hereupon, a sensible difference takes place in the nnnv* 

 her of respirations, and the quality thereof is also changed from a hot to a 

 cooler temperature ; well be it, if the suddenness of the check do not occasior 

 inflammation of the lungs: again, whoever swallows spirituous liquors feels an 

 immediate disposition of the lungs to repel the heated air of the cells which lie 

 contiguous l<* the midriff; the first breath which escapes the mouth being 

 less heated than that which follows and finishes the expiration, and imparts a 

 <5ensation wholly different from the vulgar belchings of an overcharged sto- 

 mach. These come up by way of the gullet, and carry forth a nauseous effluvia; 

 whereas air from the lungs is ever sweet, unless this organ be already in an 

 advanced state of decay. This state of the case leads me to make one practical 

 observation, which shall not be set down, as more curious than useful ; out 

 of seventeen subjects, which successively fell to my lot to examine as to the 

 immediate cause of death, only two, tolerably sound at the lungs, presented 

 themselves; which I take to be the fair proportion of sound horses, as respects 

 the lungs of all that live or die. All those cases occurred from February to 

 May, a season when such an affection might not be considered most prevalent. 

 Hence, (my reader may smile!) I conclude from all that has been said, that a 

 tolerably good guess at the state of a horse's lungs may be formed, by smelling 

 at his breath after a canter, in like manner as our Smithfield dealers smell the 

 animal's nostrils in order to detect the glanders. 



From what has been said, it follows, that a diseased stomach may be pro- 

 duced by diseased lungs and vice versa, and that the midriff suffers in either 

 case : then does the midriff become livid, purplish and inflamed, with dark- 

 coloured stripes, as if thickened at such places, the muscular border thereof as- 

 suming a putrid appearance, and sending forth a villanous stench. When 

 this is the case, or any other ailment prevents the midriff from performing its 

 proper function of inhaling and -expelling the air from the lungs, that species 

 of "broken wind" takes place which is known by the sort of breathing where- 

 in the expirations are quicker than the inspirations ; being thus contradistin- 

 guished from that other species of broken wind, which is occasioned by rupture 

 of the air cells. A paralysis of the midriff, or the adhesion of the stomach to 

 its lower side, is equally obstructive of its reaction upon the lungs: and I 

 have this day (May, 1820), cut away an adhesion of this sort as wide as the 

 palm of a man's hand. 



Unfortunately for the horse which is affected, either in the midriff, the 

 lungs, in the pleura, or covering thereof, his doctors heal the whole series in 

 the same manner, not unfrequently including in their uniformly mistaken 

 practice, the affections of the stomach, liver, pancreas, &c. In all, the inflam- 

 matory symptoms are predominant, and a cooling regimen presses itself upon 

 our notice as more proper than the best of medicines, although having the same 

 tendency ; whereas, the direct contrary is the practice mostly followed, and 

 heating medicines, under the fascinating name of cordials, made of spices, ale, 

 wine, &c. are administered daily. Or, at most, if a sedative or opiate, by 

 chance, finds its way (properly enough) into the animal's stomach, this organ 

 is thereby only rendered more susceptible of the heating mixtures which are 

 again had recourse to immediately thereafter. 



The organs or respiration are liable to seven or eight several kinds of 

 disease, mostly originating in the horse's having caught cold; they are do- 

 nominated according to the particular place where he maybe affected, and iii 

 one respect, according to the degree of attack. A cold (simply) or catarrh, 

 produces that affection which denominates the patient "a roarer." Chronic 

 cough brings on " broken wind," of which there are two sorts ; and consump- 

 tion usually follows the long continuance of either. When either 1k»s ron 



