92 DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 



BRONCHITIS. 



Derivation. — Bronchitis is derived from ^povy^og or 

 bronchus, and itis, signifying inflammation of the bronchial 

 tubes. 



Synonym. — Coleman confounded this disease with " In- 

 flammation of the Lungs." Laennec has named it 

 pulmonary catarrh, which, in point of fact, it is. In the 

 epidemic form it is apt to assume, it sometimes acquires 

 the name of influenza or distemper. In old works on 

 farriery we find it described under the appellation of 

 MOREFOUNDERiNG, a word evidently introduced from the 

 French morfonderment, or morefondure. 



Definition. — Discharge from the nose; cough; sore 

 throat j with shortness of breath, and febrile irritation, 

 sometimes without antecedent shivering. 



Bronchitis so variable in character rarely exists 

 unmixed with other diseases, and this renders it less likely 

 at all times to attract attention than it would otherwise 

 do : it so commonly enters into the composition of afiections 

 regarded as entirely catarrhal or pulmonary that it is apt 

 to be mistaken or overlooked. It will, insensibly almost, 

 follow catarrh, and as stealthily, unless narrowly watched, 

 run into pneumonia and pleurisy, and sometimes other 

 thoracic diseases. 



Kinds. — Bronchitis may be said to be pure or mixed, 

 though the former is a character it rarely assumes, being 

 mostly complicated either with catarrh [catarrhal bronchitis) 

 with laryngitis, or with disease of the lungs. It may be acute 

 or sub-acute, and now and then it will become chronic. 

 In the spring and autumnal seasons of the year — among 

 young horses especially — it is very apt to present itself, 

 complicated with other disease, in the epidemic form, and 

 then constitutes part — and perhaps the major part — of the 

 disorder prevalent at the time under the appellation of 

 influenza or distemper. 



The causes of catarrh are the causes of bronchitis. The 

 same membrane pervades all the air-passages, and, though 



