164 THE VEINS BOG AND BLOOD SPAVIN. 



some local cause. No organ of consequence can be much disor- 

 dered or inflamed without the neighboring parts being disturbed, 

 and the whole system gradually participating in the disturbance. 

 Inflammation of the feet or of the lungs never existed long or to 

 any material extent, without being accompanied by some degree 

 of fever. 



The treatment of symptomatic fever should resemble that of 

 simple fever, except that particular attention must be paid to 

 the state of the part originally diseased. If the inflammation 

 which existed there can be subdued, the general disturbance will 

 •jsually cease.* 



THE VEINS. 



These vessels carry back to the heart the blood which had bees 

 conveyed to the different parts by the arteries. 



BOG AifD BLOOD SPAVIN. 



Attached to the extremities of most of the tendons, and be 

 tween the tendons and other parts, are little bags containing a 

 mucous substance to enable the tendons to slide over each other 

 without friction, and to move easily on the neighboring parts. 

 From violent exercise these vessels are liable to enlarge. Wind- 

 galls and thoroughpins are instances of this. There is one of 



* Noteiy Mr. Spooner. — Pure fever does not of necessity require blood- 

 letting, and, indeed, will often be removed better without the aid of deple 

 tion. The fact is well shown in cases of influenza, where great quickness 

 of the pulse, with a hot mouth, and other tokens of fever, are present, and 

 which symptoms may be often removed without the aid of bleeding. We 

 decidedly object to bleeding in those cases of fever attended with a shiver 

 ing fit ; and, indeed, we have found that unless the pulse is fuU and strong, 

 it is generally better to avoid bleeding. Fever is far more dependent on 

 some irritation of the nervous system than is implied in the text, and bleed- 

 ing is often calculated to increase this irritation. The administration of a 

 diffusible stimulant that will act on the skin, such as the spirit of nitrous 

 ether, is a far better mode of treatment, and will often cut short a case of 

 fever, which the abstraction of blood would only prolong. In cases of fever 

 the mucous membrane is very frequently in an irritable state, so that a 

 purgative will greatly increase such irritation, and should therefore be 

 avoided. If the bowels are costive, oily laxatives should be administered, 

 and aloes carefully avoided, unless given in a liquid form, and as a single 

 dose. It is a very dangerous practice to give small doses of aloes until the 

 bowels are relaxed, for, from the long period required to relax the bowels 

 in the horse, before this effect is produced a quantity will be taken suffi- 

 cie;,tly to endanger life, and, indeed, death has in many instances occurred 

 from this practice. It is better therefore either to abstain altogether from 

 giving aloes in such cases, or otherwise confine it to one moderate dose of 

 two drachms. 



