INFLUENZA.— TYPHUS FEVER, OR DISTEMPER. 423 



the end of that time, and often a chronic cough, which requires 

 careful treatment. 



The cause is to be looked for in some peculiar state of the air, 

 of the nature of which nothing is known at present. 



Treatment. — In the early stage, the remedies should he the 

 same as for ordinary or simple "cold." Towards the second 

 week, a cough-bolus (46) or draught (47) will generally be re- 

 quired. When the strength is much reduced after the second 

 week, and the cough is nearly gone, give a tonic pill (62) or 

 mixture (63). Great care should be taken not to bring on a 

 relapse by improper food, or by too early an allowance of exer- 

 cise. Fresh air is of the utmost importance, but it must be 

 taken at a slow pace, as a gallop will often undo all that has 

 been effected in the way of a cure. 



TYPHUS FEVER, OR DISTEMPER. 



Having in previously published works proved the similarity of 

 this disease to the typhus fever of man, and the identity of the 

 two methods of treatment, I shall take this for granted, more 

 especially as it is now generally admitted. 



The essence of the disease is some poison admitted from without, 

 or developed within the blood, by which the various secretions 

 are either totally checked, or so altered as no longer to purify 

 the system. The exact nature of this poison is beyond our 

 present state of knowledge, but from analogy there is little 

 doubt that it resides in the blood. As in all cases of poison ab- 

 sorbed into the system, there is a most rapidly depressing effect 

 upon the muscular powers, which is to be expected, inasmuch as 

 their action requires a constant formation of new material from 



