DISEASE, FEVER, AND INFLAMMATION. 97 



tomatic, or dependent on internal disease." Then why not 

 attempt to cure this internal disease, and let the fever alone ? 

 The same author remarks, " The same applies to cattle ; for 

 it is of very little importance whether we call it fever or 

 inflammation." It is clearly evident that there is but one cause 

 of fever, viz., the natural motive power of the system, and 

 but one fever itself, viz., accumulated vital action ; yet the 

 causes of disease are numerous, and many a tissue to be ob- 

 structed, and if the disease were named from the tissue or 

 organ, as nervous, pulmonic, &c, it would have as many 

 names as there are tissues or organs to be affected ; if it be 

 named from the symptoms, it would be numberless and 

 boundless. But of what use is it to decide what particular 

 nerve, blood-vessel, or muscle is contracted, or compressed, 

 .eeing that the proper and only rational treatment consists in 

 icting on the whole, nerves, tissues, and blood-vessels, by 

 elaxing them, and equalizing the circulation ? But suppose 

 vve do ascertain exactly what part of the alimentary canal is 

 contracted in a given case of constriction ; what advantage is 

 it to us ? Suppose we find it in the duodenum, — have we any 

 specific that will act upon it, other than through the healthy 

 operation of nature's secreting and excreting process ? There- 

 fore the symptoms produced by medicines ought always to 

 be those of health : hence those who treat disease according 

 to the principles we have laid down, must not expect to see, . 

 in the progress of the disease, the same train of symptoms 

 that are given in works hitherto published on veterinary 

 practice. 



Suppose two cases of enteritis (inflammation of the bow- 

 els) were put into the hands of two different men, one of the 

 physiological school, and the other of the allopathic. The 

 latter would, if he practised according to the principles taught 

 by the professors of veterinary surgery, proceed thus. (See 

 Youatt, p. 208.) "From six to ten quarts of blood should 

 be taken as soon as possible, and the bleeding repeated to the 

 extent of four or five quarts more, if the pain is not relieved. 

 The speedy weakness that accompanies this disease should not 

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