46 DISEASES OF THE LUNGS 



nostrils is of dark color, acid reaction, partially coagulated 

 and admixed with food particles. 



Prognosis.^ — ^The prognosis depends upon the quantity of 

 blood lost. A gallon will not seriously affect a full sized 

 horse. If, however, the hemorrhage continues it induces a 

 general anemia which may lead to cachexia and death. Very 

 profuse hemorrhage can terminate fatally in a few minutes. 



Treatment. — The patient should be kept as quiet as 

 possible. Ice packs (or cold water) may be applied to sides, 

 vulva or scrotum (reflex affect). Internal medication does 

 little good. Ergot in the form of fluid extract is recom- 

 mended by most practitioners; others condemn it. Acetate 

 of lead (5j) given three times daily is employed in obstinate 

 cases. Sulphuric acid (dilute 5vj) is sometimes beneficial. 

 Theoretically aconite (Fleming's tincture TUx) is good as it 

 lowers blood-pressure. Lung hemorrhages which are due 

 merely to congestion of the bronchial mucous membrane 

 'or lung usually stop spontaneously when the blood-pressure 

 becomes low. On the other hand those hemorrhages due to 

 a ruptured vessel in the lung (aneiuysm) are generally 

 copious enough to produce death. 



PULMONARY GANGRENE. 



Definition. — A decomposition of the dead lung tissue due 

 to the microorganisms of putrefaction. 



Occurrence. — Most often in horse, swine, and sheep. 



Etiology. — May result from fibrinous pneumonia, diseases 

 of the pharynx which make swallowing difficult (pharyngitis, 

 paralysis), general diseases affecting the pharynx (tetanus, 

 parturient paresis, forage poisoning) causing the food 

 swallowed to "go the wrong way"; the aspiration of foreign 

 matter (dust, saw-dust, blood, pus, grains, hair, plant 

 fibers, etc), drenches unskilfully administered (pneumonia 

 medicantaria) especially in horses, sheep, and swine; by 

 metastasis emboli develop from ulcerative processes in the 

 bowel, hoof matrix (gangrenous pododermatitis), and bone 

 (caries). In these instances the necrosis bacillus is active. 

 Traumatic injuries rarely cause pulmonary gangrene. 



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