CEOUP. 563 



and in America as well. The disease consists essentially in 

 acute inflammation of the larynx, associated with more or 

 less severe spasms of its muscles, and very frequently, 

 though not invariably, with a fibrinous exudation on the 

 mucous membrane. 



Symptoms. Croup is characterised by a sudden manifes- 

 tation, intense fever, full hard pulse, up to 80, 100, or more 

 per minute, with crowing noise in breathing, louder in 

 inspiration than expiration; violent coughing, easily excited 

 by pressure on the throat, and paroxysms are observed at 

 irregular intervals; in the second stages, the expectoration 

 of false membranes may be looked for. The disease may, 

 however, be complicated with pleuro-pneumonia or other 

 chest affections, and on such occasions the attending dyspnoea 

 will be more urgent. The symptoms may differ according 

 to the type of the attending fever. This may be sthenic; 

 and in such cases, if promptly and energetically treated, a 

 favourable termination may be looked for. The fever has, 

 however, a marked tendency to assume a typhous form, the 

 violent dyspnoea prevents a sufficient aeration of the blood. 

 And it will be found that, when an active attack of the 

 malady has continued for several days, the fever acquires a 

 low form, though, at the outset, it bore a sthenic character. 

 When this is the case, the chances of a favourable termina- 

 tion are much reduced. If the disease occurs, as it some- 

 times does, in an epizootic form, all cases show a remarkable 

 tendency to assume the typhous type at the very outset of 

 the disease, and on such occasions the mortality is very 

 largely increased. 



Mr James Law wrote an interesting paper on this subject, 

 in the Edinburgh Veterinary Review, vol. iii. p. 216, and 

 from his article I extract the following: 



"The prognosis will always depend on the stage of the 



