18C CONTENTS OF THE CHEST, 



the foot in acute founder, by unloading the vessels of the inflamed part, and enabling 

 them to contract, and, in that contraction, to acquire tone and power to resist future 

 distension, will do more good than five quarts taken from the general circulation. An 

 ounce of blood obtained by scarifying the swelled vessels of the intlamed eye, will 

 give as much relief to tliat oro-an as a copious bleeding from the jugular. It is a prin- 

 ciple in the animal frame which should never be lost sight of by tne veterinary sur- 

 geon, or the horseman, that if by bleeding the process of inflammatron can once be 

 checked, — if it can be s.spended but for a little while, — although it may return, it is 

 never with the same degree of violence, and in many cases it is got rid of entirely. 

 Hence the necessity of bleeding early, and bleeding largely, in inflanunaticn of the 

 lungs, or of the bowels, or of the brain, or of any important organ. ^lany iiorsts are 

 lost for want or insutiiciency of bleeding, but we never knew one materially injured 

 by tlie most copious extraction of blood in the early stage of acute inflammation. 'J'he 

 horse w ill bear, and with advantage, the loss of an almost incredible quantity of blood, 

 — four quarts taken from him, will be comparatively little more than one pound taken 

 from the human being. We can scarcely conceive of a considerable inflammation of 

 any part of the horse, whether proceeding from sprains, contusions, or any other 

 cause in which bleeding, local (if possible), or general, or both, will not be of essen- 

 tial service. 



Next in importance to bleeding, is purging. Something may be removed from the 

 bowels, the retention of which would increase the general irritation and fever. The 

 quantity of blood will be materially lessened, for the serous or watery fluid which is 

 separated from it by a brisk purge, the action of v, hich in the horse continues probably 

 more than twenty-four hours, is enormous. While the blood is thus determined to 

 the bowels, less even of that which remains will flow through the inflamed i)art. 

 When the circulation is directed to one set of vessels, it is proportionately diminished 

 in other parts. It was first directed to the inflamed portions, and they Avere overloadea 

 and injured, — it is now directed to the bowels, and the inflamed parts are relieved. 

 While the purging continues, some degree of languor and sickness is felt; and the 

 force of the circulation is thereby diminished, and the ijeneral excitement lessened. 

 The importance of physic in every case of considerable external inflammation, is snfii- 

 ciently evident. If the horse is laid by for a few days from injury of the foot, or 

 sprain, or poll-evil, or wound, or almost any cause of inflammation, a physic-ball 

 should be given. 



In cases of internal inflammation, much judgment is required to determine when a 

 purgative may be beneficial or injurious. In inflammation of the lungs or bowels, it 

 should never be given. There is so strong a sympathy between the various contents 

 of the cavity of the chest, that no one of them can be inflamed to any great extent, 

 without all the others being disposed to become so; and, therefore, a dose of physic 

 in inflamed lungs, would perhaps be as fatal as a dose of poison. The excitement 

 produced on the bowels by the purgative may run on to inflammation, which no 

 medical skill can stop. 



The means of abating external inflammation are various, and seemingly contra- 

 dictory. The heat of the part very naturally and properly led to the api)rication of 

 cold embrocations and lotions. Heat has a strong tendency to equalize itself, or to 

 leave that substance which has a too great quantity of it, or little capacity to retain it, 

 for another which has less of it, or more capacity. Hence the advantage of cold appli- 

 cations, by which a great deal of the unnatural heat is speedily abstracted from the 

 inflamed part. The foot labouring under inflamiu;.tion is put into cold water, or the 

 horse is made to stand in water or wet clay. Various cold applications are also used 

 to sprains. The ])art is wetted with diluted vinegar, or goulard, f r salt aed w.iter. 

 When benefit is derived from these applications, it is to be attributed to their cold n( ss 

 alone. Water, es^pecially uhen cooled below the natural temperature, is as good an 

 application as any that can be used. Nitre dissolved in water, will lev. er the tem- 

 perature of the fluid many deorees; but the lotion must bo a]i])lied immediately after 

 the salt has been dissolved. A bandage may be afterwards applied to strengthen the 

 limb, but during the contii nance of active inf'.ammaticn. it would only confine the 

 heat of the part, or prevent it from benefiting by the salutary influence of the cold 

 produced by the evaporation of the water. 



Sometimes, however, we n sr rt to warm fomentations, and if benefit is derived from 

 Uieir use, it is to be traced to the warmth of the fluid, more than to any medicinal pro* 



