CAUSES OF PULMONARY DISEASE. 75 



his master is engaged in business or pleasure, can possibly 

 escape ; for escape he probably would, even to the last, were 

 it not that he had to encounter when he shall have arrived 

 home — what to him may feel most comfortable, but what in 

 reality excites disease in him, viz. his hot foul stable. 



OvER-EXERTioN or HARD WORK may induce pulmonary in- 

 flammation. The horse, whose case we have been imagining, 

 may, the moment he shall have arrived home, or very shortly 

 afterwards, experience an attack of pneumonia. Or, I will 

 suppose another case, a very common one : — A gentleman 

 shall purchase a four or five-year- old horse of a dealer, which 

 at the time of sale is in fine, fat, sleek condition. Through 

 ignorance or inexperience on the part of his new master, 

 the horse is immediately put to work, and speedily after- 

 wards is attacked with pneumonia, of which he dies. The 

 gentleman brings an action against the dealer for the reco- 

 very of the value of his lost horse, and the result is that he 

 obtains the action; though most unjustly, since, in all pro- 

 bability, the animal was in perfect health and soundness at 

 the time of purchase, and lost his life entirely from the mis- 

 management of his purchaser. At the same time, no other 

 blame than want of knowledge could morally be imputed to 

 him. It was formerly the custom in the army to put all 

 recruit-horses to severe work in riding- schools, and the con- 

 sequence was, numbers became lost to the service : now, 

 however, that a mild and progressive system of manege is 

 practised, the mortality arising from this cause has quite 

 disappeared. Any act of sudden or violent exertion, such 

 as a " splitting gallop,'^ or a " burst,^^ is likely to cause a 

 congested state of the lungs, under which the horse sinks 

 asphyxiated, and in that condition, unless immediately 

 relieved, dies. This is not inflammation, though a state 

 very apt to be followed by inflammation, supposing the 

 animal to survive the original shock. 



Injuries, mechanical or chemical, may prove the cause of 

 pulmonary disease. It is possible that the enveloping mem- 

 brane, or even the parenchymatous substance, may sufter 

 preternatural extension and laceration from violent and 



