?S8 PNEUMONIA. INFLAIIMATIOX OF THE LUNGS. 



weakened or destroyed without permanently impairing the strength of the 

 patient ; whereas by small bleedings, and with a small stream, the strength 

 of the patient is sapped, while the disease remains untouched. 



From the debilitating form diseases of the respiratory system are apt to 

 assume, many practitioners never resort to blood-letting in this disease, 

 and there cannot be a doubt that it should be cautiously adopted, and only 

 in those cases in which the attack is sudden and violent, and the animal's 

 general condition in a state to bear it. In all cases of pneumonia resulting 

 from influenza, fever, and other debiHtating diseases, bleeding woidd only 

 hasten a fatal termination. Wlien blood-lettmg is found necessaiy it 

 should be copious, taken as rapidly as possible, and not repeated. 



Next comes purging, if we dared ; for by having recourse to it some 

 cause of excitement would be got rid of, the circulating fluid would be 

 lessened, and a new determination of the vital cui'rent produced ; but 

 experience teaches, that in pneumonia there is so much sympathy with thfe 

 abdominal viscera, — there is such a fatal tendency in. the inflammation to 

 spread over every mucous membrane, that purging is almost to a certainty 

 followed by inflammation, and that inflammation bids defiance to every 

 attempt to arrest it. It may be said with perfect confidence that, in the 

 majority of cases, a dose of physic would be a dose of poison to a horse 

 labouring under pneumonia. 



May we not relax the bowels ? Yes, if we can stop there. We may, 

 after the inflammation has evidently a httle subsided, ventui-e upon, yet 

 very cautiously, small doses of aloes iu our fever medicine, and we may 

 quicken their operation by frequent injections of warm soap and water ; 

 omitting the purgative, however, the moment the feeces are becoming pul- 

 taceous. We must, however, be assured that the inflammation is subsiding, 

 and there must be considerable constipation, or the purgative had better 

 be let alone. 



If we must not give physic, we must endeavour to find some other 

 aujdliary to the bleeding, and we liave it in nitre, emetiG tartar, the 

 sjjirits of oiitric ether, and the extract of helladonna, which has been so often 

 recommended. 



The greatest care should be taken with the patient labouring under this 

 complaint. His legs should be well hand-rubbed, in order to restore, if 

 possible, the circulation to the extremities ; and a liniment composed of 

 equal parts of water of ammonia, spirits of tui-pentine, and soap liniment 

 will materially assist this. Comfortable flaiuiel bandages should encase 

 the legs from the foot to the knee. He should be covered up warm. There 

 cannot be a doubt about this. As for air, he cannot have too much. In 

 cold weather his box must be airy, but not chilly. We want to determine 

 the blood to the extremities and the skin ; but not all the clothing in the 

 world will keep our patient warm, if he is placed in a cold and uncom- 

 fortable situation. 



As for food, we think not of it. In nine cases out of ten he will not 

 touch anything ; or if he is inclined to eat, we give him notliing but a 

 bran-mash, or a little green meat, or a few carrots. 



We now look about us for some counter-irritant. We wish to excite 

 some powerful action in another part of the frame, and Avhich shall divert 

 the current of blood from that which was first afiected. We recognise it 

 as a law of nature, and of which we here eagerly avail ourselves, that if 

 we have a morbid action in some vital organ — and unusual determination 

 of blood to it — we can abate, perhaps Ave can at once arrest, that morbid 

 action by exciting a similar or a greater disturbance in some contiguous 

 and not dangerovis part. Therefore we blister the sides and the brisket, 

 and produce all the irritation we can on the integument ; and in pro- 



