NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS, 95 



Symptoms. — In the first stage there is great pain aggi'avated by- 

 movement, and the animal is usually stiff as though foimdered, the 

 pulse is quick and hard, the breathing abdominal, the chest being 

 fixed so far as possible, the inspiration short and jerky, the expiration 

 longer. The pain is due to the friction of the dry inflamed pleural 

 surfaces of the lung and chest on each other. At this stage the ear 

 detects a dry friction murmur, resembling somewhat the sound made 

 by rubbing two pieces of sole leather together. Pressure between th€ 

 ribs gives pain and usually causes the animal to flinch and grunt. 

 The muzzle is hot and dry, the mouth slimy, and the secretions 

 scanty. After a day or two the severity of the symptoms is much 

 lessened, the temperature, which during the first days ma}'' have been 

 as high as 106° F., falls to 103° or 10-4°, the pain decreases, the 

 stiffness disappears, and the patient eats a little. The pulse softens, 

 but remains quicker than normal. Now, day by day the jjatient loses 

 a little strength, the friction sound disappears as the exudation mois- 

 tens the pleural surfaces; percussion now shows a horizontal line of 

 dullness, which day by day rises higher in the chest, the respiration 

 grows more frequent and labored, the countenance is anxious and 

 haggard, the eyes sink somewhat in their sockets, and in unfavorable 

 cases death occurs during the second or third week, either from 

 asphyxia or heart failure. 



In i:)leurisy, as in pneumonia, the elbows are usually turned out- 

 ward. Care must be taken to differentiate pleurisy from traumatic 

 pericarditis (which see). In the latter condition the area of dulhiess 

 of the heart is much increased, and usually a splashing sound is heard 

 at each beat of the heart. Another diagnostic symptom of value is 

 that in traumatic pericarditis respiration is painful, not difficult, 

 and the respiratory rate is very much increased on movement. In 

 both conditions a considerable swelling of the dewlap may be noticed 

 in the later stages. 



Treatment. — Give the same general care as recommended in bron- 

 chitis or pneumonia. In the early stages give a febrifuge to reduce 

 the fever, as directed for pneumonia. For relief of the cough give 

 electuary formula, which will be found in the treatment of laryngitis. 

 The bowels must be kept relaxed and the kidneys secreting freely. 

 In the stage of effusion give the following three times daily: Digi- 

 talis tincture, 1 ounce; iodid of potassium, 30 to 60 grains; mix. 

 Apply strong counterirritant to chest and put seton in dewlap. 

 (See "Setoning," p. 301.) If collapse of the lung is threatened, a 

 surgical operation is sometimes performed, termed paracentesis 

 tlwracis^ which consists in puncturing the chest cavity and drawing 

 off a part of the fluid. The instruments used are a small trocar and 

 cannula, which are introduced between the eighth and ninth ribs. 



