128 DISEASES or THE HORSE. 



Scarlatina. 



[This disease is very rare in the horse, there being but a few 

 cases on record. 



Mr. Percivall treats of it in his late work, and thus describes 

 its nature, symptoms, and treatment : ■ — 



" Febrile catarrh, speedily succeeded by the appearance of 

 scarlet sjiots upon the Schneiderian membrane and surface of 

 the skin, attended with anasarca, and in some cases dyspnoea. 



" Symptoms. — For two or three days at the commencement it 

 will i:)robably be mistaken for catarrh ; about this time, however, 

 its veritable nature becomes manifested by the appearance of 

 numerous scarlet spots or blotches upon the memljrane lining 

 the nose, jDOSsessing the hue of arterial blood, irregular in size 

 and figure, and visible as high up as the membrane can be 

 inspected. These appearances mostly assume the character of 

 petechias, though I have seen them running in streaks. They 

 look like so many patches of extravasated blood ; but if one of 

 them is wounded, blood instantly trickles down the nose, and 

 assures us that, partially and singularly distributed as it is, it Is 

 still fluid, and still contained within its vessels. 



" In passing our finger over the red spots, nothing like pimple 

 or pustular elevation of surface is discoverable. The skin is 

 every where similarly besjDotted ; at least, I infer so from the 

 results of my examination of the body of one horse that died of 

 the disorder. A mucous defluxion proceeds from the nose. 

 Anasarca is a common attendant ; the legs, sheath, and belly 

 being on occasions considerably tumefied. The respiration is 

 quickened, but in such a manner as rather to indicate pain tlian 

 embarrassment. The pulse is likewise accelerated, and beats 

 with force. There exists great disinclination to move about. 

 The appetite is either quite lost, or very much imj^alred. 



" Treatment. — In two cases, early venesection, closely fol- 

 lowed up by the exhibition of purgative and diuretic medicine, 

 with walking exercise, proved completely successful. Another 

 case, however, had a fatal termination : it was not altogether in 

 my own hands, and I attributed the unfortunate issue in some 

 measure to excess of walking exercise, practised for the purpose 

 of keeping down the anasarca which supervened upon the 

 primary attack." — Ed.] 



