IKFLAMMATIONS.] 



THE HORSE, AND 



[inflammations. 



taking on tbe suppurative stage of inflamma- 

 tion, as the superficial ones do, is strikingly 

 illustrated in cases of extraneous bodies ; which, 

 if deeply lodged, only produce the adhesive 

 inflammation. By this process, a cyst is formed, 

 in which they lie without any inconvenience ; 

 and they may even gradually change their 

 situation without disturbing the parts through 

 which they pass : but no sooner do these same 

 bodies approach tlie skin, than abscesses im- 

 mediately arise. 



All inflammations, attendant with disease, 

 j)artake of some specific quality, from which 

 simple inflammation is entirely free. 



When the constitution allows the true adhe- 

 sive and suppurative stages to occur, it is to 

 be regarded as the most healthy. 



SYMPTOMS AND NATURE OF HEALTHY IN- 

 FLAMMATION; PHLEGMON. 



Swelling, heat, and pain are the principal 

 symptoms of phlegmonous inflammation ; and 

 this term is usually applied to a circumscribed 

 tumour. These are the first appearances ob- 

 served in every case of phlegmon ; and when 

 they are slight, and the part aflected is of no 

 great extent, they have commonly very little, 

 and sometimes no apparent, influence on the 

 general system. But when they are more con- 

 siderable, and the inflammation becomes exten- 

 isive, the soft parts are more swelled than the 

 harder ones. 



Although all the symptoms of inflammation, 

 such as swelling, throbbing, tension, may be less 

 inanifest when the afl'ection is deeply situated, 

 yet they certainly exist, as in poll-evil, fistu- 

 lous withers, &c. Frequently, in horses dying 

 of inflammation of the lungs, the air-cells of 

 these organs are found crowded with a larger 

 jiumber of turgid blood-vessels than they have 

 when in the healthy state. Coagulable lymph, 

 and even blood, ai'e extravasated in the sub- 

 stance of these viscera, which of course become 

 heavier, and feel more solid. 



The extravasation of coagulated lymph, 

 ■which is one of the chief causes of the swell- 

 ing, is also one of the most characteristic 

 signs of phlegmonous inflammation. Common 

 inflammation exists wherever the blood-vessels 

 appear to be more numerous and enlarged 

 than they are in a natural state, accompanied 

 with an eftusion of coagulating lymph, whether 

 254 



upon the surface of a membrane, or a bone, or 

 in the interstices of the cellular substance, 

 and attended with throbbing and acute pain 

 in the part aflected. Various causes produce 

 inflammation. 



REMOTE CAUSES. 

 The remote causes of inflammation are 

 several in number, but very easy of compre- 

 hension, because only divisible into two general 

 classes. The first includes all such agents as 

 operate by their stimulative or chemical quali- 

 ties — as, for instance, cantharides, large doses 

 of aloes, heat, &c. The second class of causes 

 are those which act mechanically ; such as 

 bruises, wounds, &c. After saying thus much, 

 it seems quite unnecessary to give a detail of 

 each particular remote cause. 



One remote cause, however, and not the 

 least singular, is cold ; which appears to act in 

 diflereut ways. Eirst, it may be applied in 

 such a degree, and for such a length of time, 

 as to destroy the vitality of the part directly, 

 in which case sloughs are formed. In India 

 this is a frequent occurrence with b jth the 

 horse and the native Indian. In the horse, it 

 is called by the native harsatee, and is exceed- 

 ingly troublesome to be healed. Likewise m 

 the native, in the cold season, it is not uncom- 

 mon for pieces to come out of the thighs (which 

 are principally bare) as large as half-a-crown. 

 In the horse, from the troublesome teasing of 

 the flies, it becomes exceedingly annoying to 

 the surgeon. Secondly, it may be applied in a 

 less degree, or for a shorter time ; and after- 

 wards a stimulant, such as heat, may be applied, 

 which will excite inflammation. The produc- 

 tion of inflammation by any agent, depends, in 

 a great degree, upon the suddenness of the 

 operation of the agent which excites it ; for a 

 quantity of stimulus, which, if suddenly ap- 

 plied, would produce inflannnation, may be 

 applied slowly witli impunity. Hence, every 

 slight stimulant will produce inflammation and 

 sloughing, in parts which have been weakened 

 by cold. Thirdly, a part sympathises very 

 much with the contiguous ones. If a part is 

 weakened by having its action reduced, and if 

 then the debilitating cause is removed, the 

 action of the part will be increased from sym- 

 pathy with the neiglibouring parts. But, as 

 the action ought to be very little, the power 



