METHODS OF TREATMENT 69 



to f avofrab'ly influence tlxe coUrge of the disease by treating symptoms 

 in some casesj or the symptoms may be so severe or lead to such 

 disagreeable secondary efl'ects that their removal is desired. At other 

 times, it may be necessary to remove them, in order to prolong life, 

 so that other treatment may be used later. Purely symptomatic 

 treatnient is not good therapeutic usage because it is frequently 

 undesirable to remove symptoms (cough when there is considerable 

 exudation, etc.) vs^hich may be purely a physiological vi^ay of over- 

 coming the condition. Furthermore the removal of symptoms often 

 masks the course of the disease to such an extent that it is difficult to 

 know whether an animal is improved or only a few of the symptoms 

 have been removed. 



Rational Therapeutics. This makes use of the other groups, 

 but aims at the removal or destruction of the cause of the disease, and 

 to favorably influence its course by treating the clinical manifesta- 

 tions as they arise. 



Eational therapeutics may be further divided as follows : 



, 1. To deal with the specific organism. 



(a) Destroy or remove the cause of the disease. 



(b) Avoid the cause. 



(c) Protect the animal from the cause. 



2. Treat the clinical manifestations. ■ 



Destroy or Remove the Cause. This is largelj^ followed in, 

 the field of specific infections, but is also largely indicated in other 

 diseases. For instance, we use vermicides and vermifuges to destroy 

 and expel specific parasites ; laxatives, to remove injurious substances 

 from the bowels or to overcome a paresis or torpidity ; purgatives, to 

 flush out irritant material from the intestines which may be causing 

 diarrhea instead of locking the irritant in with astringents. The 

 same holds true in the use of emetics in cases of poisoning or over- 

 loading the stomach in small animals or in the administration of 

 chemical antidotes for the treatment of poisoning. The same theory 

 is used in the treatment of local infections, where disinfectants and 

 drainage ai^e used to destroy and remove infection. 

 , Avoid the Cause and Protect from the Cause. These two 

 divisions may conveniently be discussed together. Like the preced- 

 ing, they are largely employed in infectious diseases, but at the same 

 time may be used in everyday practice. The surgeon cleans and 

 disinfects his hands, instruments and field of operation vnth abso- 

 lutely no other idea in mind than to avoid and protect against infec- 

 tion, -i.e., the cause of future trouble. The sanitarian protects sound 

 animals from the various infections by quarantine, disinfection, vac- 

 cination or any other means of sanitation. These measures are not 

 confined ,to infectious diseases, but are to be employed in many other 

 conditions. They may mean the avoidance of certain foodstuffs or 



