Conlafjioun and Epizootic Diseases 19 



dropping out. Bran or oil meal may be used along with 

 hot water. Steaming may be done by feeding hot bran 

 mashes from a nose bag hung on the head. When matter 

 points it should be freely evacuated with the lancet, and 

 . the poultices continued to complete the softening. If suf- 

 focation is threatened, the windpipe must be opened in 

 the middle of the neck and a tube inserted to breathe 

 through. 



Medicine is rarely required. Yet costiveness may be 

 counteracted by warm water injections, and weakness by 

 stimulants (muriate and carbonate of ammonia) and tonics 

 (gentian, columba, wiUow-bark). Complications must be 

 treated according to their nature. 



INFLUENZA. 



A specific epizootic fever of a low type associated with 

 inflammation of the respiratory mucous membrane, or less 

 frequently of other organs. It has prevailed at intervals 

 over different parts of the world in man, horses, dogs and 

 even cats. 



Causes. Nothing can be definitely stated as to the pri- 

 mary cause of its development, as aU peculiar conditions 

 of soil, volcanic action, atmospheric electricity, asrial 

 moisture or dryness, density or levity, season, tempera- 

 ture, winds, calms, ozone, and antozone fail to account 

 for its appearance. The great American epizootic of 1872 

 was preceded and accompanied in Michigan by an excess 

 of ozone, but the excess did not determine its appearance 

 in other States, which it invaded by a gradual progress 

 and with a rapidity proportional to the celerity of com- 

 munication. Again insular and sequestrated places es- 

 caped, as Prince Ed^rard's Island, (fi'ozen out), Vancou- 

 ver's Island, (quarantined), Key West, Hayti, St. Do- 

 mingo, Jamaica, La Paz, by the non-importation of 

 horses (Cuba suffered through imported American horses). 

 It stopped at Panama, where there is no horse traffic ow- 

 ing to the state of the country. (See the author's report 

 to Government, and report of New York Board of Health). 



