572 BRONCHITIS. 



I did in Yorkshire, the south of England, or the continent of 

 Europe. The prevalence of east wind and a dry state of the 

 atmosphere along the east coast of Scotland, no doubt ac- 

 counts for this circumstance. The disease prevails more in 

 winter and spring .than at any other time. I have seen it 

 very severe in bullocks on exposed pastures, and so general 

 has the disease been in a herd, as to lead to its being mis- 

 taken for contagious pleuro-pneumonia. Animals are not 

 seized with this affection that are permanently housed, like 

 the cows on many farms. Alternations of temperature, and 

 a drenching rain after the system has been subjected to the 

 enervating influence of heat and foul air, must be included 

 amongst the most frequent causes. Dogs suffer very severely 

 from bronchitis, and especially if left in damp stables, and 

 without due attention being paid to their cleanliness and 

 exercise. 



Symptoms. Bronchitis has been usually confounded by 

 British veterinarians and authors with pneumonia, and al- 

 though the symptoms are most unmistakeable, we do not 

 find them well described. Feverish symptoms and a short, 

 frequent, painful cough, direct our attention to the state of 

 the respiratory organs. The breathing is found accelerated, 

 and the pulse frequent and full. The animal is dull, list- 

 less, thirsty, but refuses food. A certain amount of laryn- 

 gitis may lead to difficulty of swallowing; the visible mucous 

 membranes are red, the ears and limbs usually cold, and the 

 back rigid. 



When the state of the respiratory organs is carefully ex- 

 amined, we find that the breathing is accelerated to 25, 30, 

 or even 50 per minute. It is the inspiratory act that is ac- 

 complished with greatest difficulty, and the expulsion of air 

 is comparatively easy. The respiration is audible, and this 

 is not so much due to the want of secretion within the 



