112 VETERINARY HOMCEOPATHY. 



fact, that the smaller the tubes affected with inflammation, the 

 more dangerous is the form assumed by the disease and the greater 

 the risk of its proving fatal. This is, in some measure, due to 

 the fact that the larger tubes are invariably first attacked by in- 

 flammation and the disease graduall}'' spreads from smaller tO' 

 smaller tubes until the whole tubal portion of the lungs is invaded, 

 and in this way the disease gains a continuously growing hold 

 upon this portion of the organs until no part remains free from its 

 destructive influence. Moreover, the smaller the tubes the more 

 easily are they blocked up with the exudation of mucus, which is 

 due to the inflammatory process, and thus rendered useless for the 

 purpose of the passage of air through them, breathing being ex- 

 tremely difficult, resulting in that feeling of suffocation which 

 only those who have themselves suffered from bronchitis can 

 appreciate. This serves to show how important it is to arrest the 

 disease in its earlier stages, that is before it has extended beyond 

 the larger bronchial tubes. In order to be able to decide how far 

 the inflammation has penetrated resort must be had \.o auscultation: 

 or listening \\\\\\ the ear against the chest. When the larger 

 tubes only are affected, the respiratory sounds will be deep and 

 sonorous, and may be observed chiefly in the front of the chest, 

 just underneath the windpipe; but when the disease has pene- 

 trated to the deeper and consequently smaller ramifications of the 

 „tubal portion of the lungs, the sound is shrill and high pitched; 

 to discern these properly, the ear must be pressed firmly against 

 the ribs and the test applied anywhere ov^er the region of the ribs 

 on both sides. In the early stage of the disease, that is to say, 

 when the respective parts are first invaded, the sound is dry, but 

 as it progresses this is displaced by a moist sound brought about 

 by the secretion of fluent mucus which follows the dryness observ- 

 able when the febrile conditions first result in an entire arrest in 

 the secretion of the normal quantity of mucus from the internal 

 membrane. 



Symptoms. — The first thing to draw the attention to the horse 

 will be probably a short, dry cough; or possibly loss of appetite; 

 the coat will be rough and staring, and the clinical thermometer 

 will show that the temperature is higher than it ought to be; the 

 pulse is rapid, probably 65 or 70 beats per minute; the breathing 

 will comparatively be more frequent than the pulse; the horse will 



