Inflammation of the Lungs ; its Symptoms. 249 



premonitory symptoms, and which in most cases 

 proves fatal. Again, there are cases in which 

 the disease is so rapid that it will have under- 

 gone its entire stages in twenty-four hours, and 

 in this short time the entire mass of the lungs 

 will have suffered complete destruction. Such a 

 case has been satisfactorily proved not to proceed 

 from long and deep-rooted inflammation, but 

 assuredly from the very reverse. It has been 

 caused by the extraordinary degree of inflamma- 

 tion bursting the coating of the vessels and filling 

 the air cells with blood, thus instantly destroying 

 their functions. There are bad cases which are 

 not so rapid in their termination, but which are 

 nevertheless equally fatal. This happens when 

 no rupture of the vessels has taken place, and 

 although means have been adopted to take off the 

 pressure of the inflammation, yet they have been 

 insufficient to produce the desired effect. In such 

 a case the breath of the horse will be extremely 

 disagreeable, with a running at the nostrils, and 

 is a sure indication that mortification has taken 

 place in the substance of the lungs, and that 

 death will soon follow. Inflammation of the 

 lungs will be distinguished from inflammation of 

 the bowels by the pulse in the latter case being 

 small and wir^^, the mucous membrane of the 

 nose not being so red, and by pain in the belly, 

 which is indicated by kicking, pawing, stamping, 

 etc. This malady is brought on in most instances 

 by the numerous and sudden transitions from 

 heat to cold, and more often from cold to heat, 

 to which most horses are subjected. They are, 



