SUB-ACUTE PNEUMONIA. 113 



Be these explications as they may — and, after all, they 

 possess no real interest save as part of physiological 

 pathology — Delafond considers the presence of grey indu- 

 ration to be indicated by the long standing of the disease ; 

 by entire absence of respiratory murmur, without crepitous 

 rale; by deadness of sound; dry cough; emaciation; eva- 

 nescent hot skin, and harshness and adherence of it to the 

 subjacent parts. The extremities of the lobes of the lungs 

 are often thus effected. 



Metastasis. — Now and then — not often — metastasis in 

 the bowels will take place ; though I do not remember to 

 have had more than one case of this description. The most 

 common, and I may add, the most favorable translation 

 of disease we can have, is swelling of the legs, mostly all four 

 of them, the fetlocks being the parts most affected. Some- 

 times the breast, with the belly and sheath, will fill as well ; 

 all which is favorable for our patient, since the pneumonia 

 ordinarily from this time declines. Not so very infrequently 

 it happens, after inflammation of the chest has continued 

 for some time, and such a change in the symptoms has taken 

 place as to give us hopes that our patient will recover, 

 that, on the next visit we pay, we find him with his legs 

 drawn together under his body, " all of a heap,^^ and unable 

 to move. Too well does the experienced practitioner in- 

 stantly recognise the cause of all this : he has succeeded in 

 rebutting one enemy ; he has now even a more formidable 

 one still to contend with — viz., fever in the feet. To make 

 use of the common expression on this occasion, " the fever 

 or inflammation has fallen from the lungs into the feet.^' 

 Another part into which the inflammation may " fall,^' even 

 after the patient has been pronounced perfectly convalescent, 

 is the fore fetlock- joints, or the flexor tendons and ligaments. 

 I made mention of this in a case I sent to ' The Vete- 

 rinarian' in 1829 ; and the following year I had the satis- 

 faction of seeing that the same had attracted the especial 

 notice of my lamented friend, Mr. Castley, of the I2th 

 Lancers. The attack is often so like a common " sprain 

 of the back sinews," that in any other case it would be 



II. 8 



