380 History of Animal Plagues. 



the extremities of the arteries caused their contractions to be- 

 come augmented bv reason of the obstacle opposed to the cir- 

 culation, then the lymphatic vessels became dilated, and received 

 the red portion of the blood ; this bloody thus conveyed into 

 vessels having an extremely delicate texture, stagnated, dilated 

 them, and caused a true inflammation. If this inflammatory 

 condition is not promptly remedied the circulation becomes more 

 embarrassed, the principal viscera are Involved, and particularly 

 those which hav^e a thin and delicate texture, which causes them 

 to give way more easily to the impulsion, and to the disturbance 

 of the fluids. The digestion being troubled and deranged, only 

 furnishes imperfect chyle, that, mixing with the blood, aug- 

 ments still more the depraved condition of that liquid. The 

 humours, in becoming stagnated, contract a putrid fermentation. 

 In this state of universal engorgement, all the functions languish; 

 the glands no longer separate their customary secretions from 

 the mass of the fiulds, and become swollen ; the liver secretes 

 an excessively acrimonious bile, a part of which is retained in 

 the gall-bladder in consequence of the inflammatory engorge- 

 ment of the biliary canal, while the remainder enters the blood, but 

 only to augment the heat and burning. The Inflamed intestines 

 are so irritated that their capillary vessels are ruptured, and permit 

 the blood to escape, which thus constitutes a true dysentery. 



'^M. Randot^ especially patronized this theory, which he 

 thoucrht he had verified in the results of his examinations of 

 dead cattle. In these he always found traces of inflammation, 

 suppuration, or gangrene; and he sought to prove that a general 

 inflammatory condition being the most constant in these 

 animals, which always died of inflammation or its degenerate 

 stage — gangrene, the principles of treatment should be solely 

 directed to remedying this state. This author differed from 

 De Sauvages on the prognosis founded on the presence of 

 diarrhoea; that physician declaring that a simple purging, once 

 established, was always unfavourable; whereas Randot pretended 

 to have observed the contrary result; but he acknowledged that 

 the dysenteric flux was always mortal. 



' The symptoms having been explained in so clear a manner, 

 ^ Randot. Dissertation sur la Maladie Epid. des Bestiaux. Dijon, 1745. 



