PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 317 



If the beast be excited, let a vein be opened, and blood 

 taken till a change is produced. The pulse here is no 

 guide. The animal itself must tell us when to stop. 

 When its excitability is lost ; when from being furious, it 

 has become tame ; when there is a marked alteration from 

 that which was, to something else, then, though only the 

 first spurt has been taken, enough has been abstracted ; pin 

 up immediately ; the animal cannot bear the loss of much 

 of the vital fluid ; she is in no condition to stand a drain 

 upon the system, and the less blood produces the effect we 

 desire the better. Let the veterinary surgeon, therefore, 

 keep his eye upon the beast, while any bungler may strike 

 a vein, which if the abstraction of blood is warranted at all, 

 will swell up as large as a cart rope. It is of a size then 

 rather to throw stones at, than to poke at with a fleam. 



In the second, or inflammatory stage, all excitement 

 vanishes. The strength rapidly fails. The cough is now 

 certain to be constant. We did not mention the cough 

 among the first symptoms, because it is not invariably pre- 

 sent, and if present, it has no character during the early 

 stage. But now every thing becomes characteristic, so that 

 a child, or even a blind man, could accurately point to the 

 beast having the disease. The cough is short and distress- 

 ing ; evidently painful ; but often against the will of the 

 animal, emitted four or five times in succession, after which 

 the poor cow is ready to fall. The eyes are protruded and 

 glassy ; often suffiised with tears. The conjunctiva is red- 

 dened, attesting the state of the other mucous membranes. 

 The nostril looks inflamed. The muzzle is moist, and 

 often water, as clear as any drawn from a well, drops oflf its 

 surface. The appetite is fickle. The beast will repeatedly 

 pick the nicest morsel of hay, but after its having been 

 chewed, the quid drops from the mouth. Green meat is 

 invariably refused ; hay is preferred. There is no thirst. 

 The breath is hot, short, quick, and catching. The flanks 

 heave, and the appearance is marked by evident signs of 

 acute distress. If the hand be now run along the back, 

 the wretched creature grunts ; so she often does between 

 each breath, and always upon being turned in the stall. 

 Now the pulse can be felt quick ; a grating sensation is 

 imparted to the hand, if placed against the side ; and the 



