Diseases of the Rcspiraiory Organs. 179 



Chronic Cough, by which is denoted a constant 

 effort to discharge from the lungs, attended by a dry, 

 harsh sound, usually commencing on the least exertion, 

 short, and somewhat feeble, is common to animals taking 

 little exercise, highly fed, and accustomed to warm 

 rooms and soft comfortable beds. Violent paroxysms 

 ensue on the infliction of unusual exercise, and the 

 animal appears to be choking, the respiration being 

 disturbed, and froth is ejected from the mouth. There 

 are probably signs of indigestion with irregular bowels, 

 &c., by which reflex nervous action upon the breathing 

 apparatus is induced, leading to limited secretion and 

 undue relaxation from want of nervous energy. 



Cure depends upon removal of the causes, which should 

 be carefully ascertained, the chief of which is doubtless 

 chronic forms of indigestion inducing disturbance of the 

 functional powers of the liver, spleen, pancreas, &c. 

 Treatment of the cough alone is useless. 



Asthma. — This painfully distressing disease finds its 

 origin in a chronic form of bronchitis associated with 

 thickening of the mucous membrane of the tubes, with 

 more or less structural changes in the lung tissue as the 

 result of high feeding and idleness. As dogs thus 

 privileged grow old, the changes are completed : a fully 

 distended stomach with increasing fat, exercising pressure, 

 limits the respiratory act, and fully accomplishes that 

 which is necessary to unfit the tissues for healthy 

 function. 



The Symptoms at the outset are those of indigestion, a 

 depraved appetite, offensive mouth and breath, frequent 

 vomition, flatulence, constipation, enlarged or hard 

 abdomen. Piles are also common, or, if not developed, 

 they are indicated by the animal drawing the anus over 

 the ground, the hind paws being elevated on each side 

 of his face. The animal is soon tired, hesitates to follow 

 his owner, suffers from palpitation, has a capricious 

 appetite, but is voracious after flesh. He is teased by a 

 constant cough, which assumes such paroxysmal severity 

 as to prostrate the suff'erer, and he lies as if he were 

 choking, but, after throwing out frothy matter, gains 



