72 TREATMENT OB PULMONARY PATIENTS. 



Ihe shspe of a catarrh or cold (which in the more malignant cases become* 

 "Inflammation of the lungs,") I should treat it as such; but if not called in 

 until this attaf'k had extended to the animal's whole system, and catarrh had 

 subsided into general inflammation, no reason exists why we should consider 

 it a different disorder, merely because the patients may be more numerous 

 than ordinary! The reader had therefore best proceed on to the next head 

 of information, for the details as to the sufferings and cure of a single animal, 

 which I apprehend will instruct him how to treat the many ; for, neither the 

 name nor the character of the disorder can be changed by this circumstance^ 

 however tlarming its extent. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 



Catises. — Like all other of its class of disorders, inflammation of the lungs 

 is occasioned by a sudden check being given to the circulation, by cold when 

 the animal is heated, either by exercise, food, or close stabling, as before de- 

 scribed. How it happens that this organ of animal life is much more fre- 

 quently deranged than any other, the reader who has well studied the second 

 chapter, pp. 31, 32, will be at no loss to account for; adhesion of the pleura, 

 or of the lungs, to the ribs, &c. as described at section 3'2, being very common : 

 the labour of action, not to call it pain, is greatly increased thereby, and a 

 certain degree of fever is thus engendered and kept up. The animal is in 

 this manner always predisposed to acquire cold or catarrh ; and ultimately 

 inflammation of the lungs comes on, if the cold be neglected. Excessive ex 

 posure to the rougher elements, added to the changes in our humid atmo- 

 spheric temperature, accounts for the prevalence of affection of the lungs. 

 Out of the same causes arise several minor evils, to be considered here- 

 after; as, 



Simple cold, or catarrh. 

 Broken wind, of three kinds. 

 Roaring. 

 Chronic cough. - 



The symptoms of inflamed lungs rapidly follow each other; shivering, dif- 

 ficulty of breathing, loss of appetite and sluggishness, with drooping of the 

 head, become visible in quick succession. In a few hours, if the animal be 

 in good keep, longer, if out of condition, those symptoms increase, with un- 

 usually quick action of the flanks, accompanied by hot mouth and hectic 

 cough. Its ears and legs become cold, and he cares not to lie down, or being 

 down, he rises languidly, as if mourning his fate. Sometimes the progress 

 •jf this monstrous disease is accelerated by its previous habits, if the animal's 

 constitution be predisposed towards inflammation. 



The cure is sometimes mainly effected by the effusion of water in the chest, 

 which frequently takes place upon bleeding the patient; the practitioner has 

 little more to do than place himself in the situation of the handmaid of nature, 

 and all will go on well towards perfect restoration. How this effusion is per- 

 formed, iione can know. Suffice it for our purpose, that such is the case, as 

 1 have shown in the second chapter, where 1 undertook to in ve:=ligate the ani- 

 mal functions separately, and imagine I can not be misunderstood : See sec- 

 tions I'J. 20, 21, in particular, at pages 22, 23. We may a^^certain when 

 v„«b riiuistou l.jis taken place, by an evident remission of the desponding symp- 

 t()ms just set down: the flanks cease to heave so much as hitherto, the animal 

 AmJis up more cheerfully, he tries to eat a bit, the cough almost ceases, and 

 the warmth of the ears returns, all in a partial degree; but the roughness of 



