SORE THROAT. 233 



This disease may exist either in an acute, sub-acute, or chronic 

 form. When acute, its management is simple and usually suc- 

 cessful ; but if it is neglected in this early stage, it not unfre- 

 quently proves troublesome, and in some cases leaves the 

 animal permanently unsound, terminating in wheezing, whist- 

 ling, roaring, or broken-wiudedness. 



The symptoms of sore throat are easily detected by the or- 

 dinary observer. According to the intensity of the disease 

 there is an accumulation of saliva in the mouth, clear, thick, 

 and stringy, more particularly when the tongue is swollen ; a 

 stiffness of the head, the horse coughing upon the slightest 

 pressure on the larynx ; difficulty in swallowing, more par- 

 ticularly hard grain or hay, and a consequent refusal of food 

 altogether; a short, hard eough; more or less copious dis- 

 charges from the nose, as the disease advances ; an accelerated 

 pulse, frequently rising to ninety or one hundred pulsations in 

 a minute ; mouth hot, with considerable fever accompanying. 



For treatment, apply strong mustard, mixed with water to 

 the thickness of cream, to the throat, rub it well in, and 

 repeat as often as may be necessary ; or poultice the part with 

 flaxseed meal for several days, and sprinkle on the tongue a 

 teaspoonful of common table salt, three or four times a day, 

 which in ordinary cases is all the treatment which v,'ill be 

 necessary for the acute type of the disease. 



The attention of the veterinary surgeon is more frequently 

 called to chronic forms of this disease, in which, though no 

 swelling of the parts is usually perceptible, a pressure upon 

 the larynx at once excites a hard cough. In this stage of the 

 disease much relief will be obtained by the application of a 

 felister, prepared as follows : Pulverized cantharides (Spanish 



