i.74 BRONCHOCELE. 



he would boldly propose tracheotomy, for he could certainly cut 

 upon the seat of disease. 



If he found one of these organized bands, the removal of it 

 would afford immediate relief ; or if he found merely a thickened 

 membrane, no harm would be done ; or the loss of blood might 

 abate the local inflammation. No one would eagerly undertake 



case of roaring ; but, having undertaken it, he should give the 

 measures that he adopts a fair trial, remembering that, in every 

 chronic case like this, the only hope of success depends on perse- 

 verance.* * 



BRONCHOCELE. 



Mr. Percival is almost the only author who takes notice of en- 

 largement of the thyroid glands — ^two oval bodies below the la- 

 rynx, and attached to the trachea. The use of them has never 

 been satisfactorily explained. They sometimes grow to the size 

 of an egg, or larger, but are unattended by cough or fever, and 

 are nothing more than an eye-sore. The iodine ointment has oc- 

 casionally been appUed with success. The blister or the seton 

 may also be useful. 



* Note hy Mr. Spooner. — This disease is not always so easily discovered 

 as is implied by the statement in the text. In some cases, the symptoms of 

 roaring are only developed after a short gallop ; and, in many, roarers will 

 not grunt when suddenly alarmed. It is generally very old and confirmed 

 vAses that exhibit this symptom. There are not only a variety of degrees 

 in which roaring may exist, but there are many dififerent causes which pro 

 duce the noise which gives a name to the disease. Several of these navu 

 been stated in the text ; but one, and by no means an unfrequent one, has 

 been omitted, which is tbe absorption and paralyzation of the muscles, on 

 one side, which assist in opening and enlarging the entrance to the larynx, 

 by pulling back the arytenoid cartilages, as they are termed. The conse- 

 quence of this is, that an obstruction takes place ; and, although the air can 

 enter with sufficient rapidity when the animal is at rest, yet when respira- 

 tion is hurried by exertion, a great noise is occasioned by the air passing 

 through the narrow aperture with great rapidity. 



The greater number of the cases of roaring certainly occur with carriage 

 horses and are connected with the practice of tight reining. It is not, how- 

 ever, the sudden reining in which causes the mischief, but the long-contin- 

 ued position of the windpipe when thus distorted. When the breathing is 

 greatly distressed, either from over-exertion or from inflammation of the 

 lungs, the horse stretches out his head, and extends the nostrils, and by this 

 means places the air-passages in a straight line, and admits their greatest ex- 

 pansion. When, however, the neck is much arched, there is a great angle 

 formed at the throat, and the upper ring of the windpipe is forced up so as 

 to form an obstruction to the passage of air. This position of the windpipe, 

 at first temporary, at length becomes permanent, and thus proves a fi'equent 

 cause of roaring. 



