THE MALIGNANT EPIDEMIC. ISl 



THE MALIGNANT EPIDEMIC. 



Continental veterinarians describe a malignant variety or ter- 

 'Dination of epidemic catarrh, and Britain is not without its 

 records of it. It prevailed in 1815, and three horses out of five 

 attacked hy it died. It reappeared in 1823, but was not so 

 fatal. In 1714, a malignant epidemic was imported from the 

 continent, and in the course of a few months destroyed 70,000 

 horses and cattle. It continued to visit other countries, with 

 but short intervals, for fifty years afterwards. 



The malignant epidemic was almost uniformly ushered in by 

 inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory 

 passages, but soon involving other portions, and then ensued a 



iras by no means universal, for, in several instances, severe cephalic 

 and thoracic symptoms were pre.qent in the same subject and at the same 

 time. 



When an animal had been previously suffering from some chronic diseasr 

 such as broken wind, or hepatized lungs, the influenza was nearly sure tL 

 light up afresh the embers of the former fire ; and this local disease gene 

 rally proved troublesome and obstinate. So, likewise, when, from the idio- 

 syncrasy of the animal, an organ was in a weak and susceptible state, inflam- 

 mation in that part was quickly excited by the general fever present in the 

 system. 



Treatment.-^Whenever the pulse was full and strong, blood was ab- 

 stracted with the best effect. In such instances I observed the blood slow 

 in coagulating, arid invariably presenting a buffy coat; great care, however, 

 was taken not to abstract too large a quantity ; and I foimd I could produce 

 the required influence by half the quantity which, in ordinary inflammatory 

 affections, it would be necessary to take. The amount of blood withdrawn 

 was always determined by its effect on the pulse, taking care, as soon as 

 its character was materially, altered, becoming softer and less perceptible, to 

 * pin up the orifice. This alteration was sometimes produced by the loss of 

 four pounds of blood, oftener by six, occasionally by eight, and in a few 

 instances, ten pounds were required to be taken. In two or three cases, 

 where there appeared to be severe internal inflammation, the blood-letting 

 was repeated on tlie following day, and in one case on the same ; but, as a 

 general rule, even in cases where the pulse had on the following day re- 

 gained its strength and fulness, I abstained from a second bleeding, trusting 

 to medicine and the progress of the disease to soften the pulse, a result which 

 usually followed on the second or third day. 



Recourse was had to local venesection stiU more frequently than to gene- 

 ral bleeding ; indeed, whenever the eyes were much inflamed, or the lids 

 swollen, I scarified the latter with a lancet, and opened the angular veins, 

 which course of procedure was attended witli the best results, for the local 

 inflammation usually subsided in the course of twelve or twenty-four hours, 

 whether I bled generally before or not. 



On referring to some fifty cases, it appears that in twenty-three I em- 

 ployed general bleeding ; in the remainder I did not ; but in twenty-five 

 cases 1 bled locally, either from the eyelids and eye veins, or the bars of 

 the mouth. The majority of these were cases which had not been bleJ 

 previously, and the minority belonged to those 'n which I had before em 



