DISEASES OF THE CHEST AND LUNGS. 303 



a very severe and painful cough, and the pose is continually 

 discharging a purulent matter, often mixed with blood. 



Consumption kills more horses than is generally supposed. 

 It is apt to be mistaken for some other disease, in many 

 cases, and is even less understood by the mass of horse own- 

 ers than its kindred diseases, pneumonia and bronchitis. 

 All of. these sometimes run their course so rapidly that irre- 

 parable mischief is done before the keeper awakens to a 

 realization of the true condition of the suffering animal. 



TREATMENT. 



The hope of a cure in a case of genuine consumption is 

 slight indeed; and it will not do for the practitioner to 

 effect improvement simply, although that may be very great. 

 iNot only must life be prolonged, but the patient must be 

 made sound and well, and capable of full service, "or nothing 

 is accomplished; and the skill and judgment of the veter- 

 inarian is gauged, not by the measure of success that attends 

 his treatment, but by its perfect success. The human patient 

 willingly submits to medical treatment for months, or even 

 years, and is happy if life is merely preserved and made tol- 

 erably comfortable, so that he can get about a little. To secure 

 this, he regards scarcely any sacrifice as too great. In respect 

 to the horse, however, this amounts to nothing ; yet seldom, 

 exceedingly seldom, can any thing more be done for him if 

 pulmonary consumption is fairly established. He may be 

 patched up a little, so as to regain sufficient strength for 

 some quite light service, but a sound, strong horse he never 

 will be again. In nine cases out of ten, it will be worth 

 twice the after value of the horse to ^*cure" him, as many 

 would use the term. 



Mercy can be the only inducement to undertake an} treats 

 ment after the disease has passed its earlier stages. Much 

 Buffering may be alleviated, and this might well be a suffi- 

 cient motive for adopting that course. But the pecuniary view 

 is that which would control the action of the great majority 

 of our farmers, and, perhaps, necessarily so in many cases. 



