Pleurisy. 143 



watched, and when do^\Ti to the natural standard, discon- 

 tinued until it begins to rise again ; probably from twenty 

 to sixty drops every four hours, until it produces slow- 

 ness of pulse, would be an appropriate dose ; should much 

 weakness follow an over dose, a dose or two of spirits 

 would overcome the prostration. 



It must be observed here that cathartic medicine in 

 this disease must be used with, great caution, and a com- 

 mon fault is to do too much ; the restoring powers of na- 

 ture are ignored, dose follows dose in unjustifiable rapid- 

 ity ; blood is shed with fearful profusion, and the suffeiing 

 animal sinks under the combined attack of disease and 

 injudicious treatment. 



In regard to blood letting, as we said at the commence- 

 ment, one judicious abstraction of blood would be advi- 

 sable ; its repetition would depend upon the strength of 

 the pulse and appearance of the blood first drawm ; if this 

 is free from a sizy thick buffy coat, its repetition is 

 uncalled for, neither will the opposite condition always war- 

 rant it. Rowels and setons are too slow in their opera- 

 tion to meet the urgent symptoms, and are only beneficial 

 when the disease becomes chronic. 



PLEURISY. 



The treatment proper for pneumonia, as a general rule, 

 will be applicable to pleurisy. Bleeding is called for more 

 urgently in the latter disease, and will be better borne 

 than in pure inflammation of the lungs ; if water accumu- 

 late in the chest, the case is not hopeless ; a powder, com- 

 posed of squill, calomel, and nitre, repeated three or four 

 times a day, ^vill accelerate the absorption of the fluid ; 

 blisters also to the chest will be appropriate. 



After recovery from either of these diseases, the patient 

 should be treated with care and great tenderness for some 

 time ; all hard exercises, fast drives and exposures to wet 

 or cold, should be sedulously guarded against, by givmg 

 the parts diseased time to heal and become sound; 



