56 DISEASES OF THE LUNGS 



noted in both lungs. The appetite is at times impaired or 

 absent. Some patients, however, eat well. The general 

 condition of the patient varies with the extent of the lesions. 

 In some cases the dyspnea, distressing cough and fever 

 greatly debilitate the patient, while in others, especially in 

 horses, the general symptoms are not marked. It can 

 happen that the catarrhal pneumonia is overlooked by 

 the owner and the patient presented to the veterinarian 

 only after" pulmonary gangrene or some other termination 

 has set in. 



Course. — Atypical. Depends much upon cause. Acute 

 cases may terminate in healing in two to three weeks. 

 Exacerbations, however, are common (formation of new foci) . 

 As a rule catarrhal pneumonia takes a prolonged course 

 lasting weeks or even months. Terminations: (a) healing 

 in two or three weeks; (b) death from asphyxia, heart weak- 

 ness, exhaustion; (c) death from pulmonary gangrene or 

 septicemia (diarrhea); (d) induration of the lungs causing 

 chronic dyspnea ("heaves"). 



Diagnosis. — If larger areas of the lung are involved, in 

 the early stages it is difficult to distinguish catarrhal from 

 fibrinous pneumonia. The following table may be of value 

 on this point: 



Fibhinous Pneumonia. 





Catarrhal Pneumonia. 



Onset sudden. 





Onset gradual. 



Course and fever typical. 





Course and fever atypical. 



Begins as pneumonia. 





Begins with bronchitis. 



Percussion: Diffuse dulness 



over 



Percussion: Normal or isolated 



one lung. 





areas of dulness over both lungs. 



Auscultation: Bronchial breath- 



Auscultation: Rales. 



ing. 

 A benign disease. 



, 



A malignant disease. 



From glanders (horse) and tuberculosis (ox), non-specific 

 catarrhal pneumonias are now. best differentiated by the 

 use of such scientific aids as the mallein (eye) agglutination, 

 complement-fixation, tuberculin tests, etc. 



Treatment. — Place the patient in a light, clean, and well- 

 ventilated place. Apply suitable covering if the weather is 

 cold. Give good, easily digested food (clean oats, bran 

 mash, bright hay, grass, milk, eggs,, etc.). As there is no 



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