48 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



turb them if possible. Although a very painful operation it is 

 not advisable to use chloroform. 



LARYNGITIS. 



Definition. — Laryngitis is the inflammation of the mucous lin- 

 ing of the larynx. Theoretically it may be lim.ited to the larynx, 

 but in every day practice, we usually find that it involves the 

 pharynx. It is then known as laryngo-pharyngitis. This is the 

 usual case we find to treat, and it is spoken of as sore throat. In 

 bad cases three or four inches at least of the upper part of the 

 trachea are involved. 



Pathology. — In this disease the inflamm.ation runs the reg- 

 ular typical course ; first the dry, hot stage with suspension of the 

 function of the mucous membrane ; then the second or the wet 

 stage with an abundant effusion producing more or less oedema. 

 This oedema makes the parts swell; if it is located mostly around 

 the rima glottidis, it will diminish the size of the air passage and 

 cause dyspnoea. Sometimes the passage becomes closed entirely, 

 and the animal dies from asphyxiation. This oedematous condi- 

 tion merits a special name — ^oedema glottidis. It may result in as- 

 phyxiation in 48 hours. This is always a dangerous condition 

 in man or beast, but more particularly in children under 5 and in 

 people over 60. The first stage is short, 5 or 6 hours only. 

 Sometimes the inflammation goes on to the third stage, — sup- 

 puration, but this never amounts to much. Occasionally the 

 case is so severe as to produce local necrosis in the larynx, and 

 the horse in coughing will throw out shreads of necrotic mu- 

 cous membrane. This, condition is called necrotic laryngitis, and 

 the part coughed up is called a "sphacelus." The act is called 

 "sphacelation." This is usually fatal, and in 6 or 8 weeks the 

 horse dies from septicemia. In the horse this is a very dan- 

 gerous condition because the larynx cannot be reached to clean 

 it out. 



Death from oedema glottidis usually occurs within 48 hours 

 if it occurs at all; after that there is less danger. 



Etiology. — The cause is undue exposure. Take a barn hold- 

 ing 40 horses — brick barn worse than frame — wide open, no fire, 



