502 liUiiEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



due generally to a rapid congestion of the brain; to the poisonous 

 effects of the debris of the disintegrated blood corpuscles and the toxin 

 of the disease; to an asphyxia, following congestion of the lungs; or 

 the disease terminates by su1)sidence of the fever, return of the appe- 

 tite and nutritive functions of the organs, and rapid convalescence; or, 

 in an unfortunately large number of cases, the course of the disease 

 is complicated by local inilammator}' troubles, whose gravity is greater 

 in influenza than it is when they occur as sporadic diseases. 



Complications. — The complications are congestions, followed by in- 

 flammatory phenomena in the various organs of the body, but they are 

 most commonly located in the intestines, lungs, brain, or vascular lam- 

 ina? of the feet. Atmospheric influence or other surrounding influences 

 of unknown quality seem to be an important factor in the determina- 

 tion of the local lesions. At certain seasons of the 3'ear, and in certain 

 epizootics, we find -iO and 50 per cent or even a greater percentage of 

 the (-ases rendered more serious by complication of the intestines; at 

 other seasons of the year, or in other epizootics, we find the same per- 

 centage of cases complicated by inflammation of the lungs, while at the 

 same time a small percentage of them are complicated b}^ troubles of 

 the other organs; inflammatory changes of the l)rain, of the lamina?, 

 more rarely commence in epizootic form, but are to be found in a cer- 

 tain small percentage of cases in all epizootics. 



Exciting causes are important factors in complicating individual cases 

 of influenza, or in localizing special lesions either during enzootics or 

 epizootics. These exciting or determining causes act much as they 

 would in sporadic inflammatory diseases, but in this case we find the 

 animal much more susceptible and predisposed to be acted upon than 

 ordinar}^ healthy animals. With a temperature already elevated, with 

 the heart's action driving the blood in increased quantity into the dis- 

 tended blood vessels, which become dilated and lose their contractility, 

 w'ith a congestion of all of the vascular organs alread}'^ established, it 

 takes but little additional irritation to carry the congestion one step 

 further and produce inflammation. 



Complication of the intestines. — When an}^ cause acts as an irritant 

 to the intestinal tract during the course of this specific fever it maj^ pro- 

 duce inflammation of the organs belonging to it. This cause ma}' be 

 constipation, which can find i-elief only in a congestion which offers to 

 increase the function of the glands and relieve the inertia caused by a 

 temporary cessation of activit}^; or irritant medicines, especially any 

 increased use of antimon}*, turpentine, or the more active remedies; the 

 taking of indigestible food, or of food in too great quantities, or food 

 altered in any way by fungus or other injurious alterations; the swal- 

 lowing of too cold water; or an}' other irritant ma}' cause congestion. 

 This complication is ushered in by colics. The animal paws with the 

 fore feet and evinces a great sensibility of the belly ; it looks with the 



