THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 259 



III . —Influenza. 



This formidable disease has of late years extensively pre- 

 vailed throughout every part of the kingdom. Malignant 

 epizootics are on record which so strongly resemble its 

 symptoms and course, though imperfectly recorded, that 

 there is no reason to consider it a new disease. It is as 

 well to be candid in acknowledging that we are ignorant of 

 its immediate cause, though it is easy to talk learnedly of 

 " atmospheric influences " of the real constituents or malefic 

 action of which we know nothing, investigation having 

 as yet shown no peculiar poison present in the air at the 

 period or place of such visitations. Influenza spares neither 

 young nor old, strong nor feeble, and neither regards season 

 of the year, nor situation, dry or moist, elevated or low. 

 Sometimes it is mild in form and action, resembling much 

 a common cold, at others accompanied with severe internal 

 inflammation, and destroying like an angel of death passing 

 through animal creation. The term influenza is that 

 adopted by almost universal consent, and expresses its 

 tendency to spread. Mr. W. C. Spooner, in a paper con- 

 tributed to " The Veterinarian," has given a clear account 

 of the disease, of which we shall here avail ourselves : 



*' Symptoms. — The first symptom that awakened attention 

 was the sudden failure of the appetite, which was either 

 total or partial ; the horse, perhaps, might have appeared 

 perfectly well in the morning, and at noon refused his food. 

 The mouth hot, the pulse quickened, varying, however, 

 from 40 to 80, being sometimes full and strong, but 

 more frequently soft and weak. There was, generally, a 

 somewhat dull appearance of the animal at first, although 

 nothing to what afterwards supervened ; the coat was often 

 staring, and, when so, the attack usually became more 

 severe. This symptom, however, was far from being uni- 

 versal. The extremities were rarely cold. In the course of 

 six or twelve hours the symptoms became more aggravated, 

 the pulse increased in frequency, and the appetite more 

 diminished, and, probably, the legs and eyelids considerably 

 swollen. In some cases the respiration became quickened, 

 and in others there was cough and sore throat ; but in the 

 majority of my patients, there was no bronchial afiection 

 whatever. 



