CATARRHAL BRONCHITIS 37 



Symptoms. — ^The characteristic symptoms of acute catar- 

 rhal bronchitis are cough, which is at first short, dry and 

 painful, but later with the accumulation of liquid exudate 

 becomes looser and less painful. Nasal discharge is present 

 and diu-ing the act of coughing bronchial slime is ejected 

 through the mouth and nose. In the early stages especially 

 the respirations are increased. Percussion is normal and on 

 auscultation rales are heard. Rales may be absent in the 

 early stages but will appear generally about the second or 

 third day. The character of the rale will depend upon 

 the size of the bronchus involved and the consistency of the 

 exudate. In the larger bronchi, provided the exudate is 

 rather fluid, the rale is of the character of bursting large 

 bubbles, while in the smaller bronchi the rales are much 

 finer and of a crepitant character. If the bronchial mucosa 

 is much swollen, narrowing the lumen of the bronchi, whis- 

 tling, piping or hissing tones may be heard. As a rule the 

 animal shows fever in the early stages (104° to 106° F.), 

 but usually within two or three days the temperature drops. 

 With the continuance of the fever the pulse frequency 

 increases. 



Chronic Catarrhal Bronchitis. — Chronic catarrhal bron- 

 chitis usually develops from the acute form. It may occur, 

 however, as a symptom of chronic heart and lung disease. 

 It is very frequently associated with chronic pulmonary 

 emphysema or seen to accompany such chronic infectious 

 diseases as tuberculosis, glanders, or verminous pneumonia. 

 Generally speaking, chronic bronchitis leads to irreparable 

 injury not only of the walls of the bronchi but of the neigh- 

 boring lung tissue (parabronchitis, bronchiectasis, atelectasis, 

 emphysema). The symptoms of chronic bronchitis are 

 much the same as those of the acute except that the condi- 

 tion is feverless and suffers many exacerbations and remis- 

 sions. The general condition of the patient may not be 

 much disturbed, and the only evidences of the disorder are 

 chronic cough, dyspnea, and nasal discharge which is often 

 foamy and white in appearance. Obviously if chronic 

 bronchitis is a symptom of an infectious disease like tuber- 

 culosis or glanders, the symptoms which typify these con- 



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