42 DISEASES OP THE HORSE. 



In cases attended with complications, tlie diagnosis at times be- 

 comes still more difficult, as at the end of a case of influenza which 

 becomes complicated with pneumonia. The high temperature of tho 

 simple inflammatory disease may be grafted on that of the specific 

 trouble, and the determination of the cause of the fever, as between 

 the two, is therefore frequently a difficult matter but an important 

 one, as upon it depends the mode of treatment. 



Any animal suffering from fever, whatever the cause, is much 

 more susceptible to attacks of local inflammation, which become com- 

 plications of the original disease, than are animals in sound health. 

 In fever we have the tissues and the walls of the blood vessels weak- 

 ened, we have an increased current of more or less altered blood 

 flowing through the vessels and stagnating in the capillaries, which 

 need but an exciting cause to transform the passive congestion of 

 fever into an active congestion and acute inflammation. These con- 

 ditions become still more distinct when the fever is accompanied with 

 a decided deterioration in the blood itself, as is seen in influenza, 

 septicemia, and at the termination of severe pneumonias. 



Fever, with its symptoms of increased temperature, acceleration of 

 the pulse, acceleration of respiration, dry skin, diminished secre- 

 tions, etc., must be considered as an indication of organic disturb- 

 ance. This organic disturbance may be the result of local inflamma- 

 tion or other irritants acting through the nerves on nerve centers, 

 alterations of the blood, in which a poison is carried to the nerve cen- 

 ters, or direct irritants to the nerve centers themselves, as in cases of 

 heat stroke, injury to the brain, etc. 



The treatment of fever depends upon its cause. One of the impor- 

 tant factors in treatment is absolute quiet. This may be obtained 

 by placing a sick horse in a box stall, away from other animals and 

 extraneous noises and sheltered from excessive light and drafts of 

 air. Anodynes, belladonna, hyoscyamus, and opium act as antipy- 

 retics simply by quieting the nervous system. As an irritant exists 

 in the blood in most cases of fever, any remedy which will favor the 

 excretion of foreign elements from it will diminish this cause. We 

 therefore use diaphoretics to stimulate the sweat and excretions 

 from the skin; diuretics to favor the elimination of matter by the 

 kidneys ; cholagogues and laxatives to increase the action of the liver 

 and intestines, and to drain from these important organs all the 

 waste material which is aiding to choke up and congest their rich 

 plexuses of blood vessels. The heart becomes stimulated to increased 

 action at the outset of a fever, but this does not indicate increased 

 strength ; on the contrary, it indicates the action of an irritant to the 

 heart that will soon weaken it. It is, therefore, irrational further to 

 depress'^the heart by the use of such drugs as aconite. It is better to 

 strengthen it and to favor the elimination of the substance that is 



