Acute Croupous Pneumonia. Pneumonitis in the Horse. 221 



obtained over the surrounding healthy lung. There is not that 

 tenderness on pressure in the intercostal spaces which characterises 

 pleurisy, but a sharp blow with the closed fist leads to wincing 

 and usually grunting because of the concussion to which the 

 diseased part is subjected. By increasing the force of such blows 

 the deepest parts of the lungs may be tested, since in this way 

 dullness due to consolidation of the deeper portions of the lungs 

 may be detected even though the superficial investing parts are 

 healthy. 



The nature of the symptoms will vary according to the extent 

 and character of the inflammation, from mild febrile reaction, with 

 excited breathing and slight crepitation, to the more severe 

 varieties in which the intensity of the symptoms are such as to 

 threaten suffocation. 



A marked feature of pneumonia in solipedes is that the patient 

 obstinately stands in one position and never lies down so long as 

 the severity of the inflammation lasts. The sharp crest on the 

 lower border of his breast bone compels the horse to lie on his 

 side, and since in this postion the whole weight of the body has 

 to be overcome in any full dilatation of the chest, he cannot retain 

 the recumbent posture when any serious impediment to breathing 

 exists. Hence it is that the fact of a horse suffering from pneumo- 

 nia having lain down and remained so for some time is justly 

 accepted as an indication of improvement. 



Progress and results of the disease. The general symptoms 

 above noted, remain with more or less intensity throughout. After 

 the first flush of heat, on the occurrence of febrile reaction, the 

 limbs become alternately hot and cold, and in this the general sur- 

 face partakes to a less extent. 



The tendency of pneumonia is to a crisis and recovery. Cer- 

 tain days have been supposed to be critical and on the whole the 

 third, seventh, eleventh and fourteenth are those on which a 

 favorable change is most probable. 



Among the more favorable indications are the manifest abate- 

 ment of the high bodily temperature and febrile symptoms gen- 

 erally, the increasing ease and regularity of the breathing, the 

 greater force, distinctness and slowness of the pulse, the perma- 

 nent return of warmth to the limbs, the softer and more elastic 

 feeling of the skin, the recovery of appetite, and above all, the 



