109 



is tinged with blood, and occasionally it may be of a brownish or rusty 

 color. By auscultation or placing the ear to the sides of the chest un- 

 natural sounds can now be heard. The air passing over the inflamed 

 surface causes a hissing or wheezing sound when the small tubes are 

 affected, and a hoarse, cooing, or snoring sound when the larger tube? 

 are involved. After one or two days the dry stage of the disease is 

 succeeded by a moist state of the membrane. The ear now detects a 

 different sound, caused by the bursting of the bubbles as the air passes 

 through the fluid, which is the exudate of inflammation and the aug- 

 mented mucous secretions of the membrane. The mucus may be secreted 

 in great abundance, which, by blocking up the tubes, may cause a col- 

 lapse of a large extent of breathing surface. Usuall}^ the mucus is ex- 

 pectorated, that is, discharged through the nose. The matter is coughed 

 up, and when it reaches the larynx much of it may be swallowed, or, as 

 the case may be, discharged from the nostrils. The horse can not spit 

 like the human being, nor does the matter coughed up gain access to 

 the mouth. In serious cases all the symptoms become aggravated. 

 The breathing is labored, short, quick, but not painful. It is both 

 thoracic and abdominal. The ribs rise and fall much more than nat- 

 ural. This fact alone is enough to exclude the idea that the animal may 

 be affected with pleurisy, because, in pleurisj^ the ribs are as nearly 

 fixed as in the power of the animal to do so, and the breathing accom- 

 plished to a great extent bj' aid of the abdominal muscles. The horse 

 persists in standing throughout the attack. He prefers to stand with 

 head to a door or window to gain all the fresh air possible, but may 

 occasionally wander listlessly about the stall if not tied. The bowels 

 most likely are constipated; the dung is covered with slimy mucus. 

 This appearance of the dung is usually defined by stablemen to be 

 "cold on the bowels," or "dung covered with cold." The urine is 

 decreased in quantity and darker in color than usual. The animal 

 shows more or less thirst; in some cases the mouth is full of saliva. 

 The discharge from the nose increases in quantity as the disease ad- 

 vances and inflammation subsides. This is rather a good symptom, as it 

 shows one stage has passed. The discharge then gradually decreases, 

 the cough becomes less rasping but of more frequent occurrence until 

 it gradually disappears with the return of health. 



Bronchitis, affecting the smaller tubes, is one of the most fatal 

 diseases, while that of the larger tubes is never very serious. It must 

 be stated, however, that it is an exceedingly difficult matter for a non- 

 expert to discriminate between the two forms, and further,^it may as 

 well be said here that the non-expert will have difficulty in discrimi- 

 nating between bronchitis and j)neumonia. Therefore the writer will 

 endeavor to point out a course of treatment in each disease that will 

 positively benefit either affection if the reader happens to be mistaken 

 in his diagnosis. The critic may say that this plan is not a truly scien- 

 tific method of treating disease. The only reply necessary to be made 



