Inflammation and Fever. 21 



obviate the access of cAi^Z and consequent aggravation of the 

 disease. Whenever the atmosphere can only be kept warm 

 at the expense of impurity, it is better to secure the comfort 

 of the patient by the requisite clothing than to subject him 

 to impure air. As the extremities are the first to suffer 

 from cold, loose flannel bandages to the limbs are often 

 imperative. 



Remedies. General bleeding, a great resort of onr fore- 

 fathers, has been long all but discarded from modern prac- 

 tice. To-day it is rarely resorted to, except to save from an 

 urgent and extreme danger, as in the plethoric cow merging 

 into parturient apoplexy, or the fat and overdriven horse, 

 gasping for breath and life, in general acute congestion of 

 the lungs. There are other cases of extensive acute and dan- 

 gerous congestions, especially in a strong, vigorous, and pleth- 

 oric patient, in which general bleeding is beneficial in -ward- 

 ing off threatened death ; but as much sound, discriminating 

 judgment is necessary to its safe employment, it is better 

 for the amateur stock-owner to resort to less radical meas- 

 ures. When resorted to at all, the blood should be drawn 

 from a large orifice, in a full stream, to secure the desired 

 depressant effect with the smallest loss of blood, and the 

 patient should be kept especially quiet and apart from all 

 excitement which would tend to counteract the sedative 

 action. 



Local hleeding is more extensively applicable than gen- 

 eral, as it usually effects the same purpose without the 

 permanently weakening effect. It acts in two ways, first, 

 by emptying and contracting the vessels in the skin over 

 the inflamed organ it solicits a sympathetic contraction of 

 the capillary vessels in that organ itself, and thus inaugu- 

 rates a progress toward recovery ; and second, by so much 

 as it draws blood to the surface it diminishes the blood- 

 pressure on the deeper inflamed organ, and affords a better 

 opportunity for the restoration of the healthy circulation 



