INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS 59 



induces coughing. Areas of dulness may be determined, 

 provided they are of the size of a clenched fist and super- 

 ficially located in the lung. Auscultation: Rales of a fine 

 subcrepitant and whistling character. If large areas of the 

 lung are involved, bronchial (tubular) breathing is heard. 

 If the bronchi and bronchioli in the affected area are plugged 

 with exudate, no sounds will be emitted. In the neighbor- 

 ing lung tissue, however, the vesicular murmur is harsher 

 than normal. Usually the physical signs of the disease are 

 noted in both lungs. The appetite is at times impaired or 

 absent. Some patients, however, ea,t well. The general 

 condition of the patient varies with the extent of the lesions. 

 In some cases the dyspnea, distressing cough and fever 

 greatly debilitate the patient, while in others, especially in 

 horses, the general symptoms are not marked. It can 

 happen that the catarrhal pneumonia is overlooked by 

 the owner and the patient presented to the veterinarian 

 only after pulmonary gangrene or some other termination 

 has set in. 



Course. — Atypical. Depends much upon cause. Acute 

 cases may terminate in healing in two to three weeks. 

 Exacerbations, however, are common (formation of new foci) . 

 As a rule, catarrhal pneumonia takes a prolonged course 

 lasting weeks or even months. Terminations : (a) Healing 

 in two to three weeks; (b) death from asphyxia, heart weak- 

 ness, exhaustion; (c) death from pulmonary gangrene or 

 septicemia (diarrhea); (d) induration of the lungs causing 

 chronic dyspnea ("heaves"). 



Diagnosis. — If larger areas of the lung are involved, in 

 the early stages it is difficult to distmguish catarrhal from 

 fibrinous pneumonia. The following table may be of value 

 on this point: 



FiBKiNOTTS Pneumonia. Catarrhal Pneumonia. 



Onset sudden. Onset gradual. 



Course and fever typical. Course and fever atypical. 



Begins as pneumonia. Begins with bronchitis. 



Percussion: Diffuse dulness over Percussion: Normal or isolated 

 one lung. areas of dulness over both lungs. 



Auscultation: Bronchial breath- Auscultation: Rales. 



A benign disease. A malignant disease. 



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