GBNERAL DISEASES. 1 49 



the heart and to the nervous system, which produces a pecuhar irritation, 

 usually lasting for a specific period, during which the temperature can be 

 but slightly diminished by any remedy. 



In cases attended with complications, the diagnosis becomes at times 

 still more difficult, as at the end of a case of influenza which becomes 

 complicated with pneumonia. The high temperature of the simple in- 

 flammatory disease may be grafted on that part of the specific trouble, 

 and the line of causation of the fever between the two, frequently a 

 narrow one is yet an important one, as upon it depends the mode of 

 treatment. 



Any animal suffering from fever, from any cause, is much more sus- 

 ceptible to attacks of local inflammation, which become complications of 

 the original disease, than are animals in sound health. In fever we have 

 the tissues and the walls of the blood vessels weakened, we have an in- 

 creased current of more or less altered blood, flowing through the ves- 

 sels and stagnating in the capillaries, which need but an exciting cause 

 to transform the passive congestion of fever into an active congestion 

 and acute inflammation. These conditions become still more distinct 

 when the fever is accompanied by a decided deterioration in the blood 

 itself, as is seen in influenza, septicaemia, and at the termination of severe 

 pneumonias. 



Fever, with its symptoms of increased temperature, acceleration of 

 the pulse, acceleration of respiration, dry skin, diminished secretions, 

 etc., must be considered as a symptom of organic disturbance. 



This organic disturbance may be the result of local inflammation or 

 other irritants acting through the nerves on nerve centers; alterations of 

 the blood, in which a poison is carried to the nerve centers, or direc* ir- 

 ritants to the nerve centres themselves, as in cases of heat stroke, injury 

 to the brain, etc. 



Treatment, The treatment of fever depends upon its cause. As 

 nerve irritation enters into the etiology of fever in all cases, one of the 

 important factors in treatment is absolute quiet. This may be obtained 

 by placing a sick horse in a box stall, away from all other animels 

 and extraneous noises, and sheltered from excessive light and draughts 

 of air. Anodynes, belladona, hyposcyamus, and opium, act as antipy- 

 retics simply by quieting the nervous system. As an irritant ex- 

 ists in the blood in most cases of fever, any remedy which will favor the 

 excretion of foreign elements from it will diminish this cause. "We 

 therefore employ diaphoretics to stimulate sweat and excretions from 



