INFLAMMATION OF THE BRONCHIAL TUBES. 85 



too late. It is not uncommon for a cough and a slight 

 diminution of the appetite to be the only symptoms 

 noticed for several days; although, if the animal were 

 carefully examined at this stage, he would be found 

 to have a quickening and a disturbed pulse with slightly 

 laborious breathing. A discharge from the nostrils is 

 also an early symptom. The disease, after creeping 

 on in this manner for several days, sometimes exhibits 

 on a sudden the most dangerous symptoms; the pulse 

 being exceedingly quick and weak; the respiration 

 greatly accelerated; the membrane of the nostrils and 

 eyelids of a red colour, and the discharge suspended. 

 When bronchitis presents itself in this form, it is very 

 commonly fatal — the membrane of the nostrils becomes 

 of a purple hue, and death too frequently closes the 

 scene in the course of a week or ten days. 



The disease fortunately does not always exhibit 

 itself in this severe form. We often find the first 

 symptoms are a loss of appetite, dulness, discharge 

 from the nostrils, and cough; it can only be dis- 

 tinguished from a common catarrh by the quickness of 

 the pulse and the disturbance of the breathing. From 

 common inflammation of the lungs it may be distin- 

 guished by that warmth of the surface and of the ex- 

 tremities which usually prevails, and by the more 

 moderate acceleration of the pulse and respiration. 

 It should, however, be observed, that it is by no means 

 uncommon for this disease to be complicated with 

 inflammation of the lungs ; and when such is the case 

 it is the more dangerous. It is sometimes attended 

 with costiveness ; the dung being often offensive, and 

 coated with mucus ; and yet the membrane lining the 



