76 SPECIAL EQUINE THERAPY 



Another item that seems to have some effect on the 

 young graduate's methods of treating pneumonia eases 

 is that pertaining to the classification of the disease into 

 different forms, such for instance as croupous pneumonia, 

 lobular pneumonia, contagious pneumonia, pleuro-pneu- 

 monia, and so on. On this item we can adopt another 

 slogan; we should think, for purposes of treatment, of 

 pneumonia as an inflammation of the lungs and their 

 covering. That is enough — aside from safeguarding the 

 health of other animals in cases of contagious pneumonia, 

 by enforcing regional quarantines, and the possible use 

 of specific or biologic agents (for prophylaxis only), the 

 treatment applicable is the same in all casfes. 



The reader will note particularly that I say pneumoriia 

 is to be considered as an inflammation of the lungs and<-^ 

 their coverings. I say this because I do not believe that 

 a ease has ever occurred, or that a case ever will occur, 

 in which the pleura is not a participant. We recognize 

 the involvement of the pleura only when the symptoms 

 produced by its involvement equal or over-shadow those 

 of the pneumonitis. When the participation of the 

 pleura is so nominal that the symptoms do not betray the 

 involvement, we are content to believe that there is no 

 pleurisy. 



From what has just been said I do not wish to have 

 the reader arrive at the conclusion that a case of pneu- 

 monia requires no care. On the contrary, the correct 

 and successful handling of an attack of pneumonia is 

 not a very simple matter. 



The treatment of pneumonia should have as its main 

 object : 



1. To give such assistance to the defensive and con- 

 structive forces of the patient's system as will make it 

 more easily possible for the patient to survive. 



2. To incorporate into this assistance such treatment 



