468 



plies in the same way. The germ ia the center (nucleus) is divided into 

 two, and then each again into two ad infinitum. If the process is slow, 

 each new cell may assimilate nourishment and become, like its ancestor, 

 an aid in the formation of new tissues ; if, however, the changing takes 

 place rapidly the brood of young cells have not time to grow or use up 

 the surrounding nourishment, and but half-developed they die, and we 

 then have destruction of tissue, and pus or matter is formed, a material 

 made up of the imperfect dead elements and the broken down tissue. 

 Between the two there is an intermediate form, where we have imper- 

 fectly formed tissues, as in "proud flesh," cancer, large and soft splints, 

 fungus growths, greasy heels, aud thrush. 



Whether the inflamed tissue is one like the skin, lungs, or intestines, 

 very loose in their texture, or a tendon or bone, dense in structure, and 

 comparatively poor in blood-vessels, the principle of the process is the 

 same. The effects, however, and the appearance may be widely differ- 

 ent. After a cut on the face or an exudation into the lungs, the loose 

 tissues and multiple vessels allow the proliferatiug cells to obtain rich 

 nouris'hment ; absorption can take place readily, and the part regains 

 its normal condition entirely, while a bruise at the heel or at tlie withers 

 finds a dense, inextensible tissue where the multiplying elements aud 

 exuded fluids choke up all communication, and the parts die (ulcerate) 

 from want of blood and cause a serious quittor or fistula. 



This effect of structure of a part on the same process shows the im- 

 portance of a perfect knowledge in the study of a local trouble, and 

 the indispensable part which such knowledge plays in judging of the 

 gravity of an inflammatory disease, and in formulating a prognosis or 

 opinion of the final termination of it. It is this which allows the vet- 

 erinarian, through his knowledge of the intimate structure of a part 

 aud the relations of its elements, to judge of the severity of a disease, 

 and to iirescribe different modes of treatment in two animals for trou- 

 bles which appear to the less exi^erienced observer to be absolutely 

 identical. 



TerminciUon of inflammation. — Like congestion, inflammation may ter- 

 minate by resolution. In this case the exuded lymph undergoes chemi- 

 cal alteration by oxidizat'on, and the products are absorbed and car- 

 ried off by the blood vessels and lymphatics, to be thrown out of the 

 body by the liver, the glands of the skin, and the other excretory organs. 

 The cells, which have wandered into the neighboring tissues from the 

 blood vessels, find their way back again or become transformed into 

 fixed cells. Those which are the result of the tissue cells, wakened into 

 active life, follow the same course. The vessels themselves contract, 

 and having resumed their normal caliber, the part apparently reassnraes 

 its normal condition ; but it is always weakened, and a new intlamraa- 

 tion is more liable to reappear in a previously inflamed part than in a 

 sound one. The alternate termination is mortification. If the mortifi- 

 cation, or death of a part, is by molecules, each losing its vitality after 



