DISEASES OF THE HOKSE. 139 



or a handful of Glauber's salt ma}' be given in the feed twice daih', so 

 long as necessar}^. It must, however, be borne in mind that all medical 

 treatment is' of secondary consideration; careful attention j)aid to the 

 diet is of greatest importance. Broken- winded animals should not bo 

 used for breeding purposes. A predisposition to the disease may be 

 inherited. 



CHRONIC COUGH. 



A chronic cough may succeed the acute diseases of the respiratory 

 organs, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis, etc. It accompanies 

 chronic roaring, chronic bronchitis, broken wind. It may succeed 

 influenza. As previously stated, cough is but a symptom and not a 

 disease in itself. Chronic cough is occasionally associated with dis- 

 eases other than those of the organs of respiration. It ma}^ be a symp- 

 tom of chronic indigestion or of worms. In such cases it is caused hj a 

 reflex nervous irritation. The proper treatment in all cases of chronic 

 cough is to ascertain the nature of the disease of which it is a symptom, 

 and then cure the disease if possible, and the cough will cease. 



The treatment of the afi'ections will be found under their appropriate 

 heads, to which the reader is referred. 



PLEURO-DYNIA. 



This is a form of rheumatism that affects the intercostal muscles; 

 that is, the muscles between the ribs. The apparent symptoms are 

 ver}' similar to those of pleurisy. The animal is stiff and not inclined 

 to turn around; the ribs are kept in a fixed state as much as possible. 

 If the head is pulled round suddenly, or the affected side struck with 

 the hand, or if the spaces between the ribs are pressed with the fingers, 

 the animal will flinch and perhaps emit a grunt or groan expressive of 

 much pain. It is distinguished from pleurisy by the absence of fever, 

 cough, the friction sound, the effusion into the chest, and by the exist- 

 ence of rheumatism in other parts. The treatment for this affection 

 is the same as for rheumatism affecting other parts. 



WOUNDS PENETEATING THE WALLS OF THE CHEST. 



A wound penetrating the wall of the chest admits air into the 

 thoracic cavity outside of the lung. This condition is known as 

 pneumo-thorax and ma}- result in collapse of the lung. The wound 

 ma}' be so made that when the walls of the chest are dilating a 

 little air is sucked in, but during the contraction of the wall the 

 contained air presses against the torn part in such a manner as 

 entirely to close the wound; thus a small quantity of air gains access 

 with each inspiration, while none is allowed to escape until the lung is 

 pressed into a very small compass and forced into the anterior part of 

 the chest. The same thing may occur from a broken rib inflicting a 



