DISEASES OP THE BLOOD. 177 



damp pastures^ more especially in meadows near rivers^ 

 and during the fall of the year/^ And he says, " I have 

 seen this disease in one district only/^ Still he views it 

 as non-specific. Mr. W. Beach worked up this subject in 

 the commencement of the present year, and came to the 

 conclusions, which he expressed in an essay read before 

 the Veterinary Medical Association, that diphtheria affects 

 cattle, and is probably originated by outbreaks of the 

 same disease in man, also that the disease termed croup does 

 not exist in lower animals, cases which have been described 

 under this heading being diphtheritic. He has sufficiently 

 supported his views to sanction our insertion of an account 

 of the disease known as diphtheria or croup here, but we 

 would have it clearly understood that we believe our data 

 on the subject are not sufficiently numerous to warrant 

 any permanent conclusions. Some day, perhaps, the ques- 

 tion will be elucidated by experimentation. 



Symptoms, — Fever, giving rise to a quick, hard pulse ; 

 sore throat with swelling, difficulty in swallowing, 

 paroxysmal cough, discharge of mucus from the nostrils 

 and of saliva from the mouth ; breathing quickened ; a 

 crowing sound during inspiration, also laryngeal spasm, 

 which is very liable to come on suddenly when the animal 

 is excited; debility, denoted by the usual signs, brought 

 about by the inability to introduce a due amount of air 

 into the lungs, also by imperfect feeding. Later, the pulse 

 becomes weak, and the coughing more violent, until on 

 about the third day either casts of the bronchi or flakes of 

 lymph are coughed up, and the animal may recover. 

 Sometimes suffocation occurs before this has had time to 

 take place. 



Autojpsy discloses the larynx, trachea, and bronchi, and 

 also the tonsils, lined more or less perfectly by a greyish 

 consistent membrane, which in a fresh case is firmly 

 attached, but in one of some standing is loosened by 

 effusion or suppuration beneath it. Micrococci have been 

 observed in these deposits taken from man. 



Treatment. — Nurse with great care, especially giving 

 liquid diet. Steam the air passages. Give a free supply 



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