FEVER. 177 



ing" application to the skin will cause some irritation and inflammation 

 there, and lessen or sometimes remove the original one ; hence the use of 

 rowels and blisters in inflammation of the chest. Inflammation to a high 

 dcg'ree cannot exist in parts so near to each other. If we excite it in one, 

 we shall abate it in the other, and also by the discharge which we establish 

 from the one, we shall lessen the determination of blood to the other. 



With one caution we will dismiss this part of our subject ; stimulating 

 and blistering applications should never be applied to a part already in- 

 flamed. We shall not put out a fire by heaping more fuel upon it. Hence 

 the mischief which the farrier often does by rubbing his abominable oils 

 on a recent sprain, hot and tender. Many a horse has been ruined by this 

 absurd treatment. When the heat and tenderness have disappeared by the 

 use of cold lotions or fomentations, and the leg or sprained part remains en- 

 larged, or even bony matter threatens to be deposited, we may be justified 

 in exciting inflammation of the skin by a blister, in order to rouse the 

 deeper seated absorbents to action, and enable them to take up this de- 

 posit ; but we would again state it as a principle that, except to hasten the 

 natural process and effects of inflammation, a blister, or stimulating appli- 

 cation, should, in the treatment of the horse, never be applied to a part 

 already inflamed. 



FEVER. 



Fever is general increased arterial action, either without any local affec- 

 tion, or in consequence of the sympathy of the system with inflammation 

 in some particular part. 



The first is pure fever. Some have denied that it exists in the horse, 

 but they must have been strangely careless observers of the diseases of 

 that animal. The truth of the matter is, that the usual stable management 

 and general treatment of the horse are so absurd, that various parts of him 

 are rendered so liable to take on inflammation, that pure fever will exist but a 

 very little time without degenerating into inflammation of these parts. 

 The lungs are so weakened by the heated and foul air of the ill-ventilated 

 stable, and by sudden changes from almost insufferable heat to intense 

 cold; and the feet are so injured by hard usage and injudicious shoeing, 

 that, sharing from the beginning in the general vascular excitement which 

 characterises fever, they soon become excited far beyond other poftions of 

 the frame ; and that which commenced as fever becomes inflammation of 

 the lungs or feet. Pure fever, however, is sometimes seen, and runs its 

 course as fever. 



It begins frequently with a cold or shivering fit, although this is not 

 essential to fever. The horse is dull, unwilling to move, with a staring coat, 

 and cold legs and feet. This is succeeded by warmth of the body; unequal 

 distribution of warmth to the legs ; one hot, and the other three cold, or 

 some unnaturally warm, and others unusually cold, although not the 

 deathy coldness of inflammation of the lungs; the pulse quick, soft, and 

 often indistinct ; breathing somewhat laborious ; but no cough, or pawing, or 

 looking at the flanks. The animal will scarcely eat, and is very costive. 

 While the state of pure fever lasts, the shivering fit returns at nearly the 

 same hour every day, and is succeeded by the warm one, and that often 

 by a very slight sweating one ; and this goes on for several days until local 

 inflammation appears, or the fever gradually subsides. No horse ever 

 died of pure fever ; if he is not destroyed by inflammation of the lungs, or 

 feet, or bowels succeeding to the fever, he gradually recovers. 



What we have said of the treatment of local inflammation will suffi- 



N 



