THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 305 



before the tissues are completely broken up. Suppuration 

 sometimes follows pneumonia, in which case there is a 

 deceitful remission of the symptoms, but not so ^reat as in 

 hydrothorax. It is further marked by an irritating cough, 

 a purulent discharge from the nose, with a hard, hurried, 

 and an irregular pulse. In these cases a speedy termination 

 follows by suffocation ; or a more protracted one, in which 

 the animal dies emaciated. 



On the subject of symptoms, it remains to guard against 

 mistaking pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs for such 

 other affections as it may be confounded with — as with 

 influenza, bronchitis, or other diseases of the mucous 

 membranes. 



The Treatment must be prompt. The old practice was 

 to extract blood immediately upon entering the stable. 

 The first blood-letting was to the amount of two gallons 

 at least, the second of one gallon, and two, or even more, 

 subsequent withdrawals of half or three-quarters of a gallon 

 each ; thus, at all events, four gallons of blood, or more, 

 were taken away. A full-sized horse has but eight gallons 

 of blood in his body, and one moderately fat has not that 

 amount. Here, however, the veterinary surgeon with- 

 draws half the blood from the poor horse's body, under the 

 impression that the animal's disease announced it had too 

 much of that fluid, to regulate the quantity of which is the 

 care of the whole system. After this, he used to look upon 

 the subsequent signs of excessive debility as natural results. 



The antiquated notion about a horse having too much 

 blood is now exploded ; many excellent practitioners do not 

 bleed at all ; but if you resolve to take any, watch the 

 animal ; never mind the pulse at this time ; and at the first 

 sign of change, though it be ever so slight, pin up the vein, 

 and on no account repeat the experiment. 



Blaine's practice in pneumonia cannot, we think, be 

 bettered ; we therefore extract it in his own words : " The 

 point to be considered is counter-irritation, and most 

 practitioners blister both the sides largely, choosing for 

 their agent cantharides, which is uncertain and slow in its 

 action. One of the signs of improvement in inflammation 

 of the lungs is the animal lying down, which, during health, 

 it always does, upon its sides. The rendering of these parts 

 sore seems to be opposing an obstacle to the animal resuming 

 the recumbent attitude. The better plan would be to reject 



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