CATARRHAL FEVER. l9l 



or, if the horse is not too much distressed by it, himrr; nndcr his nostril in 

 a common nose-ba^. When this is resorted to, a hood about the head 

 will be particularly necessary. 



A great deal of weakness soon follows an attack of catarrhal fever, and 

 it will then be necessary, even v/hile we are subduing- the fever, to support 

 the strength of the animal. He should be offered bran-mashes, malt- 

 mashes, damped hay, green meat, or carrots. If he refuses to take 

 them, they should be insinuated between his grinders; when, being com- 

 pelled to bruise them a little in endeavouring to get rid of them, and 

 thus experiencing their taste, he will often be induced to eat several little 

 portions. If he obstinately refuses to feed, he must be drenched with 

 thick gruel ; but this will seldom be necessary if all water be refused him 

 from the earliest period of the disease, and a pail with thinner gruel be 

 suspended in some part of his box. When he finds that he can get no- 

 thing else, he will drink sufficient of this to afford him all the nutriment we 

 require. The preservation of due warmth in the extremities is as necessary 

 here as in inflammation of the lungs, and should be attempted by warm 

 bandages, and frequent hand-rubbing. 



The- terminations of this disease most to be dreaded are inflammation 

 of the lungs, and putrid fever. We know how best to guard against the 

 former, and we shall presently speak of the latter. When, however, the 

 disease hangs long upon the horse, there is usually much mischief done in 

 the chest, although the animal may recover. Thick wind, broken wind, 

 and chronic cough are its occasional consequences; and likewise, as the 

 disease has affected so great a portion of the air-passages, a peculiar liability 

 to cold and cough, and, not untrequently, an unpleasant and troublesome 

 discharge irom the nose will remain. Of the latter we have spoken 

 under the title of nasal gleet, p. 121 ; the others will presently come under 

 consideration. The farmer will not forget the infectious nature of this 

 disease, and will immediately separate the sick animal from his companions. 



The disease with which catarrhal fever is most likely to be confounded 

 is inflammation of the lungs; and as the treatment of the two is in some 

 particulars so different, the farmer should be enabled readily to distinguish 

 between them. If a little care be used this will not be difficult. The 

 febrile character of the pulse ; the early discharge from the nose ; the want 

 of intense redness in the lining of the nose; the frequent and painful 

 cough ; the enlargement of the glands, and soreness of the throat ; the 

 rapid loss of strength, the sometimes constant, and at others variable 

 warmth of the legs ;^ the fidgettiness and pawing, will sufficiently distin- 

 guish catarrhal fever from the oppressed pulse, red nostril, heaving flank, 

 little cough, fixedness of limbs, and coldness of the extremities which 

 accompany and characterise inflammation of the lungs. 



THE MALIGNANT EPIDEMIC. 



This commences with nearly the same symptoms as catarrhal fever ; it 

 probably at the beginning is catarrhal fever, but more than usually violent, 

 and sooner exhausting the powers of the frame. 



Its symptoms are rapid loss of strength, stinking breath, f(£tid discharge 

 from the nostrils, all the evacuations becoming highly otiensive, the 

 pulse rapid, small and weak, and the animal obstinately refusing to eat. It 

 soon runs its course. Gangrene soon succeeds to inflammation, and 

 rapidly spreads from the part first inflamed through the whole of the 

 cellular substance, and over every portion of the frame. When veterinary 

 science was in its infancy, this pest used periodxally to appear, and carry 



