PNEUMONIA. 101 



gradually become more disturbed and oppressed, partaking 

 more of labour than of pain. The pulse will be full 

 and quick, but probably so feeble as hardly to be perceptible. 

 The ear applied to the chest detects no sound : the usual 

 respiratory murmur is lost. The extremities — the legs and 

 ears — have a cold, death-like feel ; and in extreme cases the 

 mouth is cold also, and the pupils more or less dilated. Cold 

 sweats supervene ; no pulse is to be felt; the animal gradually 

 sinks, and in convulsions and delirium dies. 



Early bloodletting is the only remedy to save a horse in 

 this state. The surcharged, and distended pulmonary vessels 

 must be relieved : the event will greatly depend upon the 

 celerity with which this is done, and upon the extent to which 

 we have been able to carry it. A large orifice must be made in 

 the jugular vein ; though from this the blood will seldom 

 issue in any other than a tardy stream down the side of the 

 neck, treacly in its consistence, and almost black in colour. 

 So inanimate is a horse in this condition that it is as much as 

 one man can do to support his heavy head, while another holds 

 the blood-can to his neck. Blood must, notwithstanding, be 

 drawn, until the patient shall begin to stagger from becom- 

 ing faint : all hope of recovery being centred in this abstrac- 

 tion. Should he survive the paroxysm, the case will shortly 

 resolve itself either into one of resolution and direct recovery, 

 or into an attack of inflammation. 



Inflammatory pneumonia may supervene upon the con- 

 gestive, or it may come on by itself. In the latter case, it will 

 commonly exhibit three stages or sets of symptoms ; though 

 the first stage may be, and often is, either absent or unnoticed. 



The Symptoms, in the first stage, will be such as are ob- 

 served at the beginning of common fever and other inflam- 

 matory diseases : such as staring or erection of the coat, with 

 cold extremities, followed, perhaps, by actual rigor ; the horse 

 '^ hangs his head^^ either in or under the manger, and has 

 not eaten his last meal ; has had for some days a short dry 

 cough, which comes on when he is exercised, or after drink- 

 ing ; and is dull and dejected in countenance, and moves with 

 great disinclination. To this succeed — fever, quickness of 



