475 



In cases attended with complications, the diagnosis becomes at times 

 still more ditficiilt, as at the end of a case of influenza which becomes 

 complicated with pneumonia. The high temperature of the simple in- 

 flammatory disease may be grafted on that of the specific trouble, and 

 the line of causation of the fever between the two, frequently a narrow 

 is yet an important one, as npon it depends the mode of treatment. 



Any animal suffering from fever, from any cause, is much more sus- 

 ceptible to attacks of local inflammation, which become complications of 

 the original disease, than are animals in sound health. In fever we 

 have the tissues and the walls of the blood vessels weakened, we have 

 an increased current of more or less altered blood, flowing through the 

 vessels and stagnating in the capillaries, which need but an exciting 

 cause to transform the passive congestion of fever into an active con- 

 gestion and acute inflammation. These conditions become still more 

 distinct when the fever is accompanied by a decided deterioration in 

 the flood itself, as is seen in influenza, septicemia, and at the termina- 

 tion of severe pneumonias. 



Fever, with its symptoms of increased temperature, acceleration of the 

 pulse, acceleration of respiration, dry slcin, diminished secretions, etc., must 

 be considered as a symptom of organic disturbance. 



This organic disturbance may be the result of local inflammation or 

 other irritants acting through the nerves on nerve centers 5 alterations 

 of the blood, in which a poison is carried to the nerve centers, or direct 

 irritants to the nerve centers themselves, as in cases of heat stroke, 

 injury to the brain, etc. 



The treatment of fever depends upon its cause. As nerve irritation 

 enters into the etiology of fever in all cases, one of the important factors 

 in treatment is absolute quiet. This may be obtained by placing a sick 

 horse in a box stall, away from other animals and extraneous noises, 

 and sheltered from excessive light and draughts of air. Anodynes, 

 belladonna, hyoscyamus, and opium, act as antipyretics simply by quiet- 

 ing the nervous system. As an irritant exists in the blood in most cases 

 of fever, any remedy which will favor the excretion of foreign elements 

 from it will diminish this caase. Wo therefore employ diaphoretics to 

 stimulate the sweat and excretions from the skin 5 diuretics to favor 

 the elimination of matter by the kidneys ; chohigogues and laxatives 

 to increase the action of the liver and intestines, and to drain from these 

 important organs all the waste material which is aiding to choke up 

 and congest their rich plexuses of blood vessels. As the heart becomes 

 stimulated to increased action at the outset of a fever, and increases it 

 by pumping an augmented quantity of blood through the whole body, 

 we employ cardiac depressants to diminish the force of this organ. 

 Among these antimony, aconite, vcratrum viride, and iodide of potash 

 are the most important. The increased blood pressure throughout the 

 body may also be diminished by lessening the quantity of blood. Tliis 

 in obtained in many cases with advantage by direct abstraction of blood, 



