34 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OP 



some good may be accomplished in acting slightly on the kid- 

 neys, yet as the pulse and respirations are both accelerated, the 

 ordinary diuretic — sweet spirits of nitre — is not admissible, 

 for the simple reason that it is too stimulating, therefore I 

 recommend the use of common nitre — half an ounce, every 

 four hours, to be given in a little water. 



The tumefied tongue should be rubbed often with table salt. 

 The animal does not require any kind of food until amend- 

 ment takes place. The best drink for the patient, is cold 

 water, to which a little table salt may be added. 



PLEURISY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PLEURA. 



The delicate, transparent membrane, which lines the cavity 

 of the thorax or chest, is duplicated as an external tunic on the 

 lungs, and forms a partition called mediastinum, which divides 

 the cavity of the chest into two equal parts, termed right and 

 left cavities of the thorax. It is, therefore, a reflected mem- 

 brane. That portion which gives a lining to the chest is termed 

 pleura costalis, and that which invests the lungs is called pleura 

 pulmonalis, although at all points they are precisely similar in 

 structure and function. The pleura is called a serous membrane ; 

 it is dense, shining, and transparent ; its texture is penetrated 

 by blood-vessels, nerves, absorbents, and exhalents. The mi- 

 nute ramifications of the arteries give origin to a vast number of 

 exhalents ; and these furnish a serous or watery vapor, which is 

 distributed over every part of the pleura, and thus all friction 

 and irritation is prevented. In the disease known as hydrothorax, 

 dropsy of the chest, the effused fluid found in the cavity of the 

 thorax comes from the exhalents. The absorbents play a very 

 different part ; their function is to absorb or drink up any super- 

 abundant serum or blood that may be found in the chest. The 

 functions of these vessels, however, are limited, for when, in con- 

 sequence of disease, augmented serous secretion takes place, 

 the absorbents are unequal to the task imposed on them, con- 

 sequently the subject of hydrothorax often dies with his chest 

 loaded with water. 



