Catarrhal Bronchitis. 211 



Capillary and pseudo-membraneous bronchitis are described 

 by Reynal as occurring in young horses (three to seven years, ) re- 

 cently brought into the army and subjected to the hot and close 

 stables in some of the French barracks. It began as ordinary 

 bronchitis, which in place of tending to recovery, propagated it- 

 self to the most minute bronchial ramifications, and was fre- 

 quently complicated by the formation of false membranes. The 

 signs of its accession are an extreme intensity of the general 

 symptoms, the rapid, labored difficult breathing, accompanied 

 by convulsive action of the pectoral and abdominal muscles ; the 

 frequent, painful, suffocating and abortive cough, which vio- 

 lently shakes the whole body ; the extended head, open mouth, 

 distorted nostrils, reddish brown protruding eye? ; the pinched, 

 haggard features, and the frothy mucous, nasal discharge stri- 

 ated with blood, and later interspersed with shreds of false mem- 

 brane similar to those existing in croup. In connection with 

 these are the symptoms of extreme oppression, partial sweats, 

 tumultuous action of the heart and small, weak, rapid pulse. 

 Death resulted from suffocation during a paroxysm of coughing. 



Capillary and pseudo-membranous bronchitis are especially 

 liable to be associated with pathogenic microbes, which not only 

 take occasion to attack the mucosa which is already the seat of 

 debility or structural lesion, but which may cause secondary in- 

 fections (endocarditis, pericarditis, nephritis), and inoculation 

 of the Guinea pig with the exudate has caused death by rapidly 

 advancing septicaemia (Lorge). 



Course. Duration. Termination. Catarrhal bronchitis is not 

 usually fatal, except in very young or old or worn out animals, or 

 unless it assumes the capillary form or is complicated by pneumonia, 

 pulmonary abscess or by metastasis to the bowels or feet. In the 

 mildest cases health is re-established in three or four days, and in 

 the severe, about the twelfth, fifteenth or twentieth day. In old 

 and debilitated animals in which pure bronchitis proves fatal, the 

 abundant effusion into the bronchial tubes, the influence of gravi- 

 tation retaining this in the smaller tubes, the palsy of the 

 cilia which normally carry it outward, and the want of power to 

 expectorate by coughing, usually bring about suffocation. This 

 is favored by the nonserated state of the blood, which rapidly 

 prostrates the already weakened nervous centres. The superven- 



