260 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



In a few instances, the disease quickly reached its acme, 

 but, generally, the symptoms increased in severity for two 

 or three days, when, supposing judicious treatment had 

 been employed, they gradually declined, and at length 

 totally disappeared, the animal slowly regaining his former 

 health and spirits. 



The bowels, generally speaking, were not apparently 

 much deranged, but their mucous coat was particularly 

 susceptible to the action of aperient medicines ; and the 

 faeces were frequently enveloped in thin slimy mucus, and 

 often softer than in a state of health. 



In some cases the affection of the eyes was so violent as 

 to occasion temporary blindness ; and in others pneumonia 

 was present, but more frequently severe bronchitis. In 

 many patients, the oedematous swelling of the legs was 

 enormous, and continued obstinate when the other symptoms 

 had abated ; but, commonly, in proportion as the legs and 

 eyes were much aifected, the internal viscera were free 

 from disease, and vice versa. This rule, however, was by 

 no means universal, for, in several patients, severe cephalic 

 and thoracic symptoms were present in the same subject 

 and at the same time. 



Treatment. — When the pulse was full and strong I 

 abstracted blood, and with the best effect. The blood was 

 slow in coagulating, and invariably presented a buffy coat. 

 I took great care, however, not to abstract too large a 

 quantity ; and could produce the desired influence by half 

 the quantity which, in ordinary inflammatory aflections, it 

 would be necessary to take away. The amount of blood 

 withdrawn was always determined by its effect on the 

 pulse, taking care, as soon as its character was materially 

 altered — that is, softer and less perceptible — to pin up the 

 orifice. This alteration was sometimes produced by the 

 loss of only 4 lbs. of blood, oftener by 6 lbs., occasionally 

 by 8 lbs., and in a few instances by 10 lbs. In two or 

 three cases where there appeared to be severe internal 

 inflammation I repeated the blood-letting on the following 

 day, and in one instance on the same day ; but, as a general 

 rule, even in cases where the pulse had on the following 

 day regained its strength and fulness, I abstained from a 

 second bleeding, trusting to medicine and the progress of 

 the disease to soften the pulse, which I found to take 

 place commonly on the second or third day. 



