84 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



cattle, dogs and men grunt in other conditions. Also in chronic 

 respiratory diseases in the horse we may have a grunt. When 

 pleurisy is complicated with other diseases we can always detect 

 it by the grunt. 



The second stage of pleurisy runs along for 24 hours and 

 we fi^nd the pulse increased in frequency and hardness. In the 

 first half of the third stage the horse persistently stands; pleuritic 

 Hne is well marked ; breathing increased to 30 ; temperature 104 ; 

 urine scanty and high-colored ; bowels inactive ; friction sounds 

 can still be heard but less on account of the plastic exudate, 

 which lessens the pain as well. Up to this time the animal has 

 eaten practically nothing, but now he begins to eat because the 

 pain is diminished. The inflammation may subside right here 

 and the horse go on to rapid recovery — in 4-5 days. But if the 

 case runs through the third stage, then we get an effusion of se- 

 rum into the thorax. The pain grows less and the animal will 

 probably lie down and eat a little. The owner thinks that the 

 horse is getting better, but you can see that the eyes are brighter 

 and his nostrils dilated, and the flanks begin to heave. The 

 pleuritic line is lessened, and auscultation reveals increased 

 respiratory sounds above the water line, and a total absence of 

 sound below. The lung floats up on the surface of the water 

 and works harder than usual. As the serum in the chest in- 

 creases, and as the case has been running 3 or 4 days, oedema 

 can be noticed on the legs as high up as the elbow. Oedematous 

 thickening in the lower part of the chest between the skin and 

 the ribs can be detected. This is a very valuable corroborative 

 symptom. If the pleurisy is complicated with pneumonia, it is 

 not easy to make a diagnosis, for tubular breathing can be heard. 

 If the lungs are consolidated, they cannot float on the surface of 

 the water and it is difficult to diagnose the condition. 



Some horses seem to be stronger than others and the oedema 

 does not take place, but as a rule some is present. Also we get 

 oedema as the result of local treatment and this must be differ- 

 entiated from the pathological lesion. 



As the thoracic cavity of the animal fills up with water, no- 

 tice that the nostrils are dilated, that the eyes bulge; the back 

 arched; horse breathes more slowly; the expired air is cold in 



