80 VETERINARY STUDIES 



of a colt that has distemper, or a nonsuppurative inflammation 

 in the shoulder of a calf which has been affected by black leg. 

 Such inflammation is more commonly caused by irritant chemi- 

 cal agents which the germs manufacture. 



Terminations. — Inflammation may terminate in (a) resolu- 

 tion and regeneration, (b) degeneration and death of the tissue, 

 or (c) new growths. 



In case of resolution, the exudate is liquefied and removed by 

 the lymphatics and veins, or it is carried out by leucocytes 

 (white corpuscles). The blood current then starts again in the 

 small vessels; the corpuscles move away in the reestablished 

 current, or else become degenerated and are removed; and, thus 

 the organ or tissue becomes approximately normal again. There 

 is usually some new tissue formation. 



Local death. — If death of the part occurs, tissues may be dis- 

 solved and absorbed if small in amount, or the part may slough, 

 i.e., separate from healthy tissue as in case of a frozen ear. In- 

 flammation may extend to and involve surrounding tissues, and 

 thus the life of the animal may be ultimately destroyed, as in 

 extensive gangrene of a cow's udder. 



If new growths occur, there develop new tissues, e.g., tumors, 

 granulations in a wound, and scar tissue, as in case of large foot 

 resulting from a wire cut in a horse. 



Fever 



Definition. — Fever is an abnormal condition characterized by 

 an excess of heat in the body. It is not a disease, but merely 

 a symptom of disease. Fever is usually a defensive response 

 to an attack, for example, an infection, which produces dan- 

 gerous toxins, the higher temperature being unfavorable to the 

 causative germs. 



Cause. — Fever results from any disturbance that causes an 

 increase of heat production or decrease of heat loss, usually the 

 former. It should be distinguished from overheat, the former 

 being an increased body temperature due to increased heat pro- 

 duction within the body or to decreased heat loss. In overheat 

 there is an excessively high body temperature not the result 

 of disturbance of heat production or heat dissipation, but caused 

 by absorption and accumulation of heat from without. 



The normal temperature of horse is 100 to 101.5 degrees F. 



