476 



as in bleeding from the jngnlar or other veins, or by derivatives, suck 

 as mustard, turpeutiue, or blisters applied to the skin 5 or setous, which 

 draw to the surface the fluid of the blood, thereby lessening its volume, 

 without having the disadvantage found in bleeding, of impoverishing 

 the elements of the blood. 



When the irritation which is the cause of fever is a specific one, either 

 in the form of a bacteria (living organism), as in glanders, tuberculosis, 

 influenza, septicismia, etc., or in the form of a foreign chemical element, 

 as in rheumatism, gout, h?emaglobinuria, and other so-called diseases 

 of nutrition, we empIoy^ remedies which have been found to have a di- 

 rect specific action on them. Among the specific rejnedies for various 

 diseases are counted quinine, carbolic acid, salicylic acid, autipyrine, 

 mercury, iodine, the empyreumatic oils, tars, resins, arornatics, sulphur, 

 and a host of other drugs, some of which are ad hoc and others of which 

 are theoretical in action. Certain remedies, like simple aromatic teas, 

 vegetable acids, as vinegar, lemon juice, etc., alkalines in the form of 

 salts, sweet spirits of niter, etc., which are household remedies, are al- 

 ways useful, because they act on the excreting organs and ameliorate 

 the effects of fever. Other remedies, which are to be used to influence 

 the cn^icof fever, must be selected with judgment and from a thorough 

 knowledge of the nature of the disease. 



INFLUENZA. 



Synonyms: PinJcEye, Typhoid Fever, Epizooty, Epihipplc Fever, Fiev re 

 Typ ho id e, French; Grijype, French; Pferdestauhe, German; Gastro-enter- 

 itis of Vatel and d'Arboval ; Febris Frysipelatodes, Zundel ; Typhus of 

 Delafond ; Hepatic Fever, Bilious Fever, etc. 



Definition. — Influenza is a contagious and infectious specific fever of 

 the horse, ass, and mule, with alterations of the blood, stupefaction of 

 the brain and nervous system, great depression of the vital forces and 

 frequent inflammatory complications of the important vascular organs, 

 especially of the lungs, intestines, brain, and lamimeof the feet. One 

 attack usually protects the animal from future ones of the same disease, 

 but not always. An apparent complete recovery is sometimes followed 

 by serious sequehe of the nervous and blood-vessel systems. The dis- 

 ease is very apt, under certain conditions of the atmosphere or from 

 unknown causes, to assume an epizootic form, with tendency to compli- 

 cations of especial organs, as, at one period the lungs, at auotiier the 

 intestines, etc. 



The first description of influenza is given by Laurentius Rusiiis, in 

 1.301, A. D., when its[)read over a considerable portion of Italy, caus- 

 ing great loss amongst the war-horses of Kome and its surroundings. 

 In 1G48, A. D., an epizootic of this disease visited Germany and spread 

 to other ports of Europe. In 1711, A. D., under the name of " epidemioa 

 equorum,^^ it followed the tracks of the great armies all over Euroi)e, 

 causing immense losses among the horses, while the " rinderpesV was 



