Diseases of the Raspiratovy Organs. 177 



pulse to be small, hard and frequent. Animal temperi* 

 ture is also high. Expectoration is absent. A character- 

 istic sign of pleurisy also in the later stages is the dis- 

 position to sit on the haunches as in pneumonia, and 

 finally to stand until he drops dead. 



In each of the foregoing diseases the animal indicates 

 much suffering on account of the difficulty in breathing ; 

 he actually struggles for air as he sits or stands ; the 

 breath is offensive and the tongue hangs from the mouth 

 apparently useless and is livid and extremely foul. As 

 the chest fills with water, usually on one side only, the 

 patient would lie, but the inconvenience he suffers causes 

 him to rise almost at once. Dropsical swellings now 

 appear, the respiration is laboured and painful, and the 

 muscular spaces between the ribs are pressed outwards by 

 the fluid within the chest. If the hand be carefully laid 

 on these the heart-beats will be felt as a thrill as the fluid 

 is moved by the pulsations. The tendency of the disease 

 to attack one side only often renders the progress slow 

 and protracted, the immediate cause of death being a 

 form of internal drowning. 



The Treatment is based on similar principles in each 

 instance. Pure air is not only essential but curative, and 

 is therefore indispensable in the routine. The best of 

 nursing is required in .order that comfort, warmth, and 

 quietude may be ensured, and this, in conjunction with 

 all known means of supporting the system by nutritious 

 and digestible food, will fortify the system against the 

 many depressing phases of disease, as well as aid the 

 physiological action of remedies in the way of cure. With 

 regard to medicines, the choice will lay vvidi those of a 

 stimulating, expectorant, and febrifuge character in order 

 to support the system, control the circulation and promote 

 free expectoration as a relief to the usually overcharged 

 lungs in pneumonia and bronchitis. Bloodletting, emetics, 

 and purgatives are so much poison and must be scrupu- 

 lously avoided. To relieve the oppression of the chest 

 the spongio-piline, as described under poultices, is an in- 

 valuable remedy; a good substitute is opodeldoc to 

 which a small proportion of strong ammonia or turpentine 



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