PHARYNGITIS. 



29 



In man and in the smaller animals we can distinguish, accord- 

 ing to the localization of the trouble, inflammation of the velum 

 of the palate, properly called amygdalitis, and pharyngitis ; but 

 the obstacles preventing the exploration of the throat of the horse 

 and ox render these distinctions almost impossible during life. 

 Thus, in veterinary pathology, pharyngeal angina designates a 

 more or less extended inflammatory process, located upon the 

 mucous membrane of the velum palati and on that of the tonsils 

 and pharynx. It is usually accompanied by a less intense phleg- 

 masia of the mucous membrane of the larynx, of the superior part 

 of the trachea, of the buccal and nasal cavities, and sometimes also 

 of the Eustachian tubes, as well as of the guttural pouches. 



In smaller animals pharyngoscopic examination enables us to 

 diagnosticate the following forms of the disease : Catarrhal, phleg- 

 monous, croupous, diphtheritic, lacunary, necrotic, and parenchy- 

 matous ; but in subjects of our larger species it is impossible to 

 distinguish precisely the type of the disease. However, the inten- 

 sity of the rational symptoms, the condition of the lymphatic 

 ganglions, the duration of the trouble, etc., may point to the 

 existence of a pharyngitis assuming such or such a character. 

 Rejection of croupous membranes may lead to a diagnosis of 

 croupous pharyngitis, but we could not determine with any 

 accuracy whether they originate from the larynx or pharynx. In 

 our study of pharyngitis we shall lay aside all former divisions. 



[The croupous membranes here spoken of correspond to the 

 false membrane of true croup, consisting as they do of a fibrinous 

 exudate or an inflammatory transudation of coagulable lymph and 

 fibrin, and sometimes mucin containing globules of pus. No 

 evidence has yet been offered showing the extension of these small 

 membranes into the trachea and bronchi as in man. In every 

 instance coming under my own observation they were confined to 

 the pharyngeal cavity, and principally to the Schneider ian 

 mucous membrane, even as far forward as the external naris. 

 These membranes difler very materially from the true diphtheritic 

 false membrane, which consists exclusively of epithelial cells in 

 a fibrinous network, having on its free surface exudation cor- 

 puscles or pyoid globules and granules, indicating stages of degen- 

 eration. Diphtheritic deposit also diflers from the false membrane 

 of croup, by being more thick, tough, and yellow, and less sus- 

 ceptible of organization. Diphtheritic exudate may be artificially 



