12 



DIAGNOSIS. 



CHAPTER II. 



Diagnosis^ or the Determination of the Seat and 



Nature of a Disease, 



An altciatiun truin llic natural slructurc ur 

 function of any part of the body is a disorder 

 or disease, and is serious in proportion to the 

 extent of the departure from the normal 

 standard. The pt'nera! characteristics of 

 health in the condition of normal repose in 

 the horse may be stated and spoken of as 

 follows : — ■ 



I. — Brightness of eyes and skin. 



2. — Light pink colour of the mucous mem- 

 branes of the eyes, nose, lips and mouth. 



3. — Respirations or breathing movements 

 should be repeated eight to ten times per 

 minute. 



4 The pulse beats should be strong, and 



regularly recur at the rate of 32 to 36 per 

 n-.inute. 



5. — The temperature should be 100.5'' 

 Fahrenheit. 



6. — There should be no enlargement of 

 glands, or abnormal swellings of bone or 

 muscle, or other structures of the body. 



7. — The appetite and desire for water should 

 be good, with perfect capability of mastica- 



md urine should 



tion and swallowing 



8. — Discharge of f:eces 

 be free, and regular. 



g. — No evidences of pain or lameness 

 should be apparent, and there should be 

 complete sensibility, and freedom from 

 unnatural excitement. 



In looking, therefore, for the seat or cause 

 of disease, it must first be determined where 

 and how the animal shows any departure 

 from the above normal characteristics. 



I. — The eye not only shows the evidence of 

 pain, but is also dull or unduly brilliant, in 

 correspondence with any alteration in the 

 character or temperature of the blood; and by 

 tne general expression it gives to the facial 

 appearance of the horse, it will, to an obser- 

 vant attendant, at once give notice of any- 

 thing wrcmg. The state of tin- juipil (if the 

 eye should be observed. A staring coat, lack- 

 ing in glossiness, is also a sign of impaired 

 condition. 



2. -The mucous mcniijranes of the eyes, 

 nose and mouth may become highly coloured 

 (injected), in all inflammatory diseases. The 

 effusion of small portions of blood, making 

 discolored spots on any of these membranes 

 intlicates the presence of poisons, which may 

 l)e due t(j germs, animal or vegetable, or to 

 other sources. A pallid conclition of such 

 membranes points to lack of normal circu- 

 lation of blood, or congestion of that fluid in 

 other important centres of the body, or simply 

 to loss of blood by internal or external haemor- 

 rhage. In all serious diseases these mem- 

 branes lose their healthy pink colour. 



,^,. — The breathing of an animal is altered 

 by any interference with llie action of the 

 lungs, and this may be the result of disease 

 in anv portion of the chest-cavity or of 

 functional disturbances of tiie brain, t>r the 

 nerves which suppK' the limgs. This altered 

 breathing may be temporary and perhaps 

 intermittent, or persistent, in accordance with 

 the transiency of permanency, as the case may 

 be of the particidar existing derange- 

 ments. Thus, pain in any part of the body, 

 thrtnigh the nerve centres will cause a tem- 

 porary alteration in the breathing for only 

 such time as the pain lasts, whereas a struc- 

 tural change in the lung structures will cause 

 the breathing to be persistently and uniformly 

 altered, even when there is not pain. 

 Whether persistent or temporary, any altera- 

 tion in the breathing is an important factor 

 in the determinatitjn of all diseases of the 

 respiratory tract. 



The cjualified terms applied to the symptoms 

 as mentioned in the chart in this connection 

 must be carefully observed. Any persistently 

 increased frequenev of breathing beyond 16 

 times per miruitc, shown in repose, is strong 

 evidence of disease. If the number should 

 increase to 32 or beyond that, and remain so 

 for anv length of time, serious disease must 

 be present, and great danger niay be antici- 

 pated if the respirations rise to 60. 



4. — The condition and number of pulse 

 beats are in all animals most valuable 

 aids to diagnosis. It is always increased in 

 fre(]uenc\- in all important diseases, except in 

 some rare cases of brain or nerve pressure and 



