CHAPTER X. 



GENERAL DISEASES. 



Their Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. 



Infi,ubnza, pink-byb or epizooty, strangles, distemper or 

 catarrhai, fever, pi<euro-pneumonia, horse-pox, and rabies. 



'MONG the diseases to which horse flesh is heir, there are a few 

 that may be better classed as general diseases than as diseases of 

 any set of organs. While their symptoms show that one set of 

 organs may be more affected by the diseases than another it has 

 been the custom among veterinarian writers to class them as general 

 diseases. Among these may be mentioned inflammations that are gen- 

 eral in their attacks, and a few of our contagious diseases. If the in- 

 flammation is confined to one class or organs or one organ of the class it 

 has been described under its proper head. 



Influenza, Pink-Bye, or Bpi^ooty. This is a contagious and 

 infectious specific fever of the horse, ass, and mule, with alterations of 

 the blood, stupefaction of the brain and nervous system, great depres- 

 sion of the vital forces and frequent inflammatory complications of the 

 important vascular organs, especially of the lungs, intestines, brain, and 

 laminae of the feet. One attack usually protects the animal from future 

 ones of the same disease, but not always. An apparent complete recov- 

 ery is sometimes followed by serious sequelae of the nervous and blood- 

 vessel systems. The disease is very apt, under certain conditions of the 

 atmosphere or from unknown causes, to assume an epizootic form, with 

 tendency to complications of especial organs, as, at one period the lungs, 

 at another the intestines, etc. 



