256 VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



The treatment up to this point consists in diffusible stimulants and 

 plenty of cool fresh air. If the patient's constitution is good, a favorable 

 change may be expected. 



If the attack at this juncture does not take a favorable turn, the 

 symptoms will probably become more intense. The membrane of the 

 nose may become mulberry red, and in very bad cases the discharge may 

 be tinged with streaks of blood. In some cases there may be a discharge 

 of muco-pus from the eyes. The legs often swell, especially the hind ones, 

 and there may probably be swellings in the sheath and under the belly. 

 A tendency to oedema often exists about the larynx and glottis, and serum 

 may be effused into the air cells and structure of the lungs, or along the 

 spinal cord, or in the cavities of the brain. The animal may wander un- 

 consciously around the box, and look at his sides and paw occasionally as 

 though in pain. At this critical stage great care and caution are needed 

 in the management of the case. Stimulants may be employed, but 

 powerful sedatives are very injurious. The nervous centres are already 

 paralyzed, and digitalis, belladonna, and such like agents will only in- 

 crease the mischief. The feeble flickering flame of life must be roused, 

 not extinguished by sedatives. Even spontaneous diarrhoea is to be 

 dreaded, and far more the excessive purgation which is likely to result 

 from a dose of aloes given to the animal so debilitated. 



At this stage the disease often assumes an intermittent form, and tlie 

 animal alternately gains strength for a time and relapses. Even if the 

 animal survives, chronic cough, defective respiration, skin disease, rheu- 

 matism, or paralysis are often after-results of such extreme development 

 of influenza. 



When a case is about to terminate fatally, the pulse will be found to 

 falter and sink, and as final cold sweats will break out. Death generally 

 occurs about the sixth day, but the case may be protracted to about the 

 fourteenth day. 



Throughout the attack it must not be forgotten that the inaction of 

 the bowels is often mainly dependent on want of sufficient nervous tone 

 and energy. There is often no undue hardness of the faeces, but rather 

 the contrary. The proper action of the bowels will best be restored by 

 the administration of stimulants and tonics. In some cases injections 

 of tepid water and linseed oil are useful. 



There is sometimes a strong disposition to gangrene in wounds in horses 

 suffering from influenza of a low type. Ulcerous sores or simple wounds 



