498 ■ DISEASES OF THE HOESE. 



by the mouth and cold applied to the skin are most useful in many- 

 cases. 



When the irritation which is the cause of fever is a specific one, 

 either in the form of bacteria (living organisms), as in glanders, 

 tuberculosis, influenza, septicemia, etc., or in the form of a foreign 

 element, as in rheumatism, gout, hemaglobinuria, and other so-called 

 diseases of nutrition, we employ remedies which have been found to 

 have a direct specific action on them. Among the specific remedies 

 for various diseases are counted quinine, carbolic acid, salicylic acid, 

 antipyrine, mercury, iodine, the empyreumatic oils, tars, resins, aro- 

 matics, sulphur, and a host of other drugs, some of which are of known 

 effect and others of which are theoretical in action. Certain remedies, 

 like simple aromatic teas, vegetable acids, such as vinegar, lemon juice, 

 etc., alkalines in the form of salts, sweet spirits of niter, etc., which 

 are household remedies, are always useful, because they act on the 

 excreting organs and ameliorate the efects of fever. Other remedies, 

 which are to be used to influence the cause of fever, must be selected 

 with judgment and from a thorough knowledge of the nature of the 

 disease. 



INFIiUENZA. 



[Stnontms: Pinkeye, typhoid fever, epiaooty, epihippic fever, hepatic fever, 

 bilious fever, etc.; fl^vre typhoide, grippe, French; pferdestaube, German; 

 g astro-enteritis of Vatel and d'Arboval ; feJyris erysipelatodes, Zundel ; typhus 

 of Delafond.] 



Definition. — Influenza is a contagious and infectious specific fever 

 of the horse, ass, and mule, with alterations of the blood, stupefac- 

 tion of the brain and nervous system, great depression of the vital 

 forces, and frequent inflammatory complications of the important 

 vascular organs, especially of the lungs, intestines, brain, and laminae 

 of the feet. One attack usually protects the animal from future 

 ones of the same disease, but not always. An apparent complete 

 recovery is sometimes followed by serious sequelae of the nervous and 

 blood-vessel systems. The disease is very apt, under certain condi- 

 tions of the atmosphere or from unknown causes, to assume an epi- 

 zootic form, with tendency to complications of especial organs, as, 

 at one period, the lungs, at another the intestines, etc. 



The first description of influenza is given by Laurentius Rusius in 

 1301, when it spread over a considerable portion of Italy, causing 

 great loss among the war horses of Rome and the surrounding district. 

 Later, in 1648, an epizootic of this disease visited Germany and 

 spread to other parts of Europe. In 1711, under the name of " epi- 

 demica equorum" it followed the tracks of the great armies all over 

 Europe, causing immense losses among the horses, while the rinder- 

 pest was scourging the cattle of the same regions. The two diseases 

 were confounded with each other, and were, by the scientists of the 



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