PNEUMONIA. 119 



lutely blocked up, are pressed upon by exudation into the sur- 

 rounding connective tissue which is the result of the inflamma- 

 tion, and consequently their size is reduced, and the air which is 

 requisite for the proper interchange of its chemical constituents 

 with the blood cannot pass in and the lack of the necessary 

 oxygen produces a sense of suffocation. 



Auscultation of the chest does not do much more than reveal 

 how large a portion of each lung is invaded by the inflammation, 

 as in those cases where the proper lung tissue is affected the sound 

 is that of general dulness; however when resolution of the exuda- 

 tion takes place, the healthy respiratory murmur gradually re- 

 turns, which serves as an indication of the speedy restoration to 

 health of the patient. The urine is generally much reduced in 

 quantity, and is of a high color; the faeces are dry, constipation 

 and torpor of the bowels being generally present: should this 

 condition turn to diarrhoea it may be accepted as a ver}^ unfavor- 

 able indication and suggestive of typhoid complications — such as 

 are observable in Newmarket fever, hereafter to be referred to in 

 detail; in the advanced unmitigated form of the disease, abscesses 

 develop in the deep-seated structure of the lungs, and are produc- 

 tive not only of immediate danger, but if overcome they fre- 

 quently leave results behind, which interfere with the usefulness 

 of the animal in a marked degree, the abscesses may form in the 

 tubes or in the lung substance proper, but in either case they are 

 very liable to spread from one tissue to the other, breaking down 

 the walls of partition and leaving great cavities; this purulent 

 form of disease is easily recognizable by the smell of the breath 

 which is fcetid and objectionable in the extreme. 



Treatment. — Aconite 3X should invariably take the first place, 

 and that alone for a few doses; this is possibly the one remedy 

 that is capable of aborting the disease if only it is given in time; 

 true, one who is opposed to this line of treatment might say that 

 at such a stage it is impossible to affirm positiveh' that lung in- 

 flammation was likely to become established, and therefore there 

 is no reason in claiming that such a disease can be aborted; were 

 it necessar}^ or even useful to combat such an argument it might 

 be attempted, but we do not think it would be and therefore rest 

 contented with the bold assertion that we think there is justifica- 

 tion in the claim made for the abortive powers of Aconite; as 



