144 Diseases of the Horse. 



preventing as well as dissipating them by means of proper 

 exercise, airy dwellings, and suitable food, one or all of 

 which may be at fault. Neglect of this is the precursor 

 of greater evils which we now proceed to notice. 



Sympathetic or Symptomatic Fever may be re- 

 garded as an intense or violent aggravation of the pre- 

 ceding form. The following simple illustrations will 

 render this quite clear. Minor causes of irritation, acci- 

 dents, &c, as simple scratches, friction to the skin, 

 bruises, a slight chill, &c, may induce nothing more than 

 simple fever ; but the effects of a nail driven into the 

 sensitive part of the foot, a muscular part, or penetrating 

 the walls of the chest or abdomen, the bruising of the 

 coronet or circumference at the top of the hoof, severe 

 laceration of the skin or muscles, fracture of a bone, acute 

 inflammation of an important organ, &c, &c, will pro- 

 duce a vast amount of disturbance, and even endanger 

 or destroy the animal's life. In such fatal states the 

 immediate cause of death is not the puncture, the bruise, 

 or laceration, &c, severe as they may be, but the sympa- 

 thetic fever, which is spoken of as constitutional disturbance, 

 vital organs being brought into sympathetic suffering with 

 parts originally injured. Such manifestations being com- 

 mon or always attendant upon extensive and serious 

 lesions, excluding, however, their specific signs, are said 

 to be symptomatic, that is indicative of the severity and 

 seriousness of the original malady. 



Symptomatic fever arises through the medium of the 

 nervous system ; which brings all parts of the system into 

 union and sympathy. It is nature's telegraphy, by which 

 the disease of outlying members is made known in the 

 central system, and that the signs thus registered are of 

 serious and urgent import, admitting of no delay, and 

 calling for the exercise of prompt, sound judgment. The 

 respiration is accelerated, gradually, sometimes rapidly 

 assuming the form termed blowing, such as is seen in the 

 distress arising from long and painfully severe exercise ; 

 the pulse is full and bounding ; the arrest of secretion, a 

 common result of perverted function, has diminished the 

 quantity of urine, which has a strong odour and deep 



