18 DISEASES OF THE ATU-PASSAGES. 



The glands under the throat will swell considerably, and 

 evince tenderness on being felt or compressed ; those below 

 the roots of the ears, the parotids, will likewise become tumid, 

 giving rise to what grooms call '^ the coming down of the 

 kernels." Cough is commonly present, attended with sore 

 throat. In a few cases so extensive and violent is the inflam- 

 mation in the membranes of the nose and throat, and so 

 abundant the discharges from them, that embarrassment is 

 occasioned in respiration, which may increase to that degree 

 to produce violent and convulsive fits of coughing, and even 

 to put the animal in danger of suffocation unless relieved by 

 the operation of bronchotomy. This, however, is what rarely 

 happens, save in the epidemic variety of catarrh. 



The duration of an attack of catarrh is ordinarily from 

 one week to three. Should it not appear to be on the 

 decline about the third week, we may infer that the disease 

 is becoming chronic, in which form its duration cannot be 

 said to have any definable limits. 



In chronic catarrh, the nasal defluxion it is which con- 

 stitutes the prominent and troublesome symptom : indeed, it 

 is often the only one remaining. Sometimes the matter is 

 yellow, from the admixture of pus with mucus ; at others, it 

 is altogether as remarkable for whiteness, and possesses a 

 clotted or grumous character : in a few cases it consists of an 

 opaque, thin, dirty-looking mucus. In general, these chronic 

 cases '^ run themselves dry," as the phrase goes ; though 

 every now and then we meet with one degenerating into nasal 

 yleet^ an affection I shall consider hereafter. 



The termination of catarrh, taking its ordinary course, 

 is in the return, more or less gradual, of health. At such 

 times, however, as it manifests more than usual severity, and 

 particularly when much inflammation in the cavities of the 

 nose and throat, and consequent fever are indicated, and there 

 be but little or no discharge from the nose, there is great 

 reason to apprehend the disease running into bronchitis, in 

 which extended and modified form it becomes pregnant with 

 all the dangers of an inflammation in the lungs. Indeed, when 

 a horse is received under treatment for a simple catarrh, and 



