416 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OP THE OX. 



the trachea of a healthy animal. Cough is generally present, 

 though in sorae instances it is not marked. The animal looks 

 anxious, and the head and neck are protruded, the bowels are 

 constipated, while the water passed is scanty and high-coloured. 



As the disease progresses, the pulse becomes feeble and more 

 rapid, the breathing still more accelerated. The cough, not 

 often frequent, becomes of a weak character, and blood-stained 

 expectoration may be thrown up. In many instances the dis- 

 ease takes a favourable course, and the animal becomes con- 

 valescent in about a fortnight from the onset of the attack. In 

 others, death occurs from consolidation or from mortification of 

 the lungs, from the fifth to the tenth or fourteenth day. It is 

 customary to bleed in cases of acute inflammation of the lungs, 

 though aconite, in the form of tincture, often acts as efficaciously 

 as the more direct method of controlling the inflammatory action. 

 Of course it would not be admissible to administer aconite, if it 

 were intended to slaughter the animal for food in case of an 

 impending fatal issue. 



In the first place, in this affection the animal should, be placed 

 in a well-ventilated airy box or shed, and under no circumstances 

 should he remain in a close, stufi'y stall, seeing that a due supply 

 of fresh, cool air is of paramount importance in enabling the 

 animal to cope with the increasing difficulty in breathing. 

 Around the chest, cloths wrung out from hot water should be 

 kept constantly applied, and should be renewed every hour, so 

 long as the acute symptoms last. Afterwards, the sides of the 

 chest may be blistered by the application on one side of mustard 

 and on the other, if it be also affected, of ointment of cantha- 

 rides, or a strong ammonia and turpentine liniment. In the 

 first instance a fair dose of Epsom salts should be administered 

 in a pint of warm water, and every four hours there should be 

 given a drench of solution of carbonate of ammonium, of solu- 

 tion of acetate of ammonium, and camphor. Digitalis is also 

 sometimes useful. Where bleeding is not practised, and in 

 very plethoric cases where it is carried into execution, the 

 pharmacopoeial tincture of aconite in forty-five-minim doses is 

 most useful. When the lungs are extensively inflamed, it is 

 customary to slaughter, except in the case of valuable breeding 

 animals, or where the ox is too poor to be of much value as 

 food. 



