DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 50$ 



parent mucus is yellow, the color is due to blood, and the dis- 

 charges are not as the vets, claim, from the stomach, but the lungs. 

 If to water rendered viscid by dissolving a certain quantity of 

 gum in it, sufficient to give it the consistency of mucus, you add 

 blood, drop by drop, you will obtain, in succession, all the shades 

 cif color that are presented in the discharges from the mouth and 

 nasal passages in this disease : first a yellow tinge ; then a tawny 

 y?llow which loses itself in red, and comes to represent the color 

 of the rust of iron, and lastly intensely red. A part of the dis- 

 charges from the nose, however, the clearest portions, may come 

 from the mucous membrane of the nostrils and fauces, induced by 

 the irritation of the lung matter. If a little of this discharge be 

 taken up on a stick, and it runs readily, or even slowly, we may 

 hope that the disease has nof passed the first stage. But if it be 

 thick, viscid, or jelly like, and hard to get rid of v\fhen so taken, 

 we may fear that the second stage is reached. 



Although these rust or orange-colored discharges are com- 

 monly present during the more active period of this disease, you 

 ought to be aware that they do not constantly accompany it. 

 Sometimes they are like those of a catarrh ; and sometimes there 

 is scarcely any at all. 



Having given you an idea of the symptoms individually, I must 

 now hastily glance over them collectivelj', as they must be studied 

 together ; and some will be found to confirm or correct the indi- 

 cations that might be drawn from others. 



The first symptom is usually a slight difficulty in breathing, the 

 animal moving gingerly, as with pain, or humoring one side more 

 than another in lying down. Make a movement as though to grasp 

 his sides, and he will Ukely follow the motion of your hand, with 

 his muzzle close to it, fearing he may be hurt ; the eye also shows 

 suffering : this may, or may not have been preceded by shivering, — 

 rigors ; and he coughs slightly, but without expectorating. At this 

 peried the ear a.pplied to his chest and back may generally detect 

 the slight crepitating sound before mentioned, and some fever will 

 be noticed withal. The second or third day new symptoms appear. 

 The expectoration and nasal discharge, heretofore absent, or ca- 

 .arrhal in character become characteristic ; being at first moderately 

 ?iscid, and having a degree of color proportionate to the variable 



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