CHRONIC LARYNGITIS. 333 



detects no unusual sound, and indeed there is plenty of room for 

 the air to pass. But in true laryngitis, on placing the ear near the 

 throat, a harsh rasping sound is heard, which is sufficient at once 

 to show the nature and urgency of the symptoms. The mucous 

 membrane is swollen, and tinged with blood; the rima glottidis is 

 almost closed, and the air in passing through it produces the sound 

 above described, which, however, is sometimes replaced by a stridu- 

 lous or hissing one. In conjunction with this well-marked symp- 

 tom there is always a hoarse cough of a peculiar character, and 

 some considerable fever, with frequent respiration, and a hard, wiry 

 pulse of seventy to eighty. The treatment must be of the most 

 active kind, for not only is life threatened, but even if a fatal result 

 does not take place, there is great danger of permanent organic 

 mischief to the delicate apparatus of the larynx, generally from the 

 effusion of lymph into the submucous cellular membrane. A full 

 bleeding should at once be practised, and repeated at the end of 

 twelve hours if there is no relief afforded and the pulse still con- 

 tinues hard. The hair should be cut off the throat, and the tinc- 

 ture of cantharides brushed on in a pure state until a blister arises, 

 when the part may be constantly well fomented, to encourage the 

 discharge. Large doses of tartar emetic, calomel, and digitalis, 

 must also be given, but their amount and frequency should be left 

 to an experienced veterinarian, the preliminary bleeding and blis- 

 tering being done in his absence to save time. It is a case in 

 which medicine must be pushed as far as can be done with safety, 

 and this cannot well be left to any one who is not well acquainted 

 with its effects, and with the powers of the animal economy. Gruel 

 is the only food allowed during the acute stage, and there is seldom 

 time to have recourse to aperient physic until the urgent symp- 

 toms are abated, when an ordinary dose may be given. During 

 convalescence the greatest care must be taken to prevent a re- 

 lapse, by avoiding all excitement either by stimulating food or fast 

 exercise. 



CHRONIC LARYNGITIS may occur as the result of the acute form 

 above described, or it may come on gradually, without any violent 

 inflammation preceding it. In either case the symptoms are simi- 

 lar in their nature to those met with in the acute form, but less in 

 degree. The noise made is not nearly so harsh, and can often 

 hardly be heard on the most careful examination. The peculiar 

 harsh, grating cough is, however, always present, and by it the 

 nature of the case may generally be easily made out. The disease 

 often accompanies strangles, although in nine cases out of ten it 

 is overlooked by the careless attendant. Very commonly, how- 

 ever, it makes its ravages in so insidious a manner that no suspi- 

 cion is felt of its presence, until the horse begins to make a noise, 

 though he must in all probability have shown by the cough peculiar 



