136 
THOUGHTS ON INFLUENZA. 
those effects occasioned by “ enteritis/’ and in many, more 
like madness than some persons would credit, I now pro- 
ceed to detail those symptoms which are observed in the 
apparently less severe cases, and which have proved as great 
a burden to the veterinary surgeons in this district as any 
“ epizootic” has hitherto done. 
The insidious manner in which this disease worms 
itself into the system, — if I may be allowed so to express 
myself — causes it to be a great difficulty to make owners in 
any way inclined to believe that anything serious is really 
affecting their animals. When they require our attendance, 
too, they can furnish but little in the way of answer to our in- 
quiries. There is “ no cough,” “ no cold,” nothing stated only 
“ He won’t eat,” or “ He won’t work well.” This leaves us 
no alternative but to pursue our investigation unaided, and 
often sadly contradicted. This loss of appetite is mostly by 
the groom attributed to the “ lampas,” which the ignorance 
of many owners and grooms leads them to believe constitutes 
the “disease,” and not the “symptom.” I am sorry to see 
that, in the present advanced state of professional knowledge, 
this belief should be really encouraged by practitioners 
for the love of gain, and accordingly they prick, incise, burn, 
or otherwise mutilate the mouth of a poor unoffending 
animal. 
This may be compared to the “ shoulder lameness” of past 
years, which we now find mostly located at or below the 
knee, and we hope it will soon die the same “ death,” by 
which means the “ groom” will not be considered to possess 
the knowledge instead of the veterinary surgeon. 
To return. In a recent case there may be observed a 
slight appearance of colic, or it may be severe ; and this is the 
first intimation of the animal’s illness. This passes off by 
the administration of powerful stimulants, in large doses, yet 
obstinate constipation exists for one, two, three, or even more 
days afterwards. And as Mr. Barlow remarks in his paper,* 
to which I refer my readers, although this state of affairs 
exists, the bowels are strangely sensitive to the action of 
purgative medicine. The limbs, ears, and nose, are cold as 
death ; mouth moist and cool ; respiration little or not dis- 
turbed ; breath cool ; pulse ranging from 26 or lower, to 48, 
56, 60, and even higher, and remarkable debility exists. 
Supposing now the pulse reaches the highest number named, 
and the respiration is accelerated, it may be mistaken for 
some inflammatory disease, but if treated as such the animal 
rarely recovers. 
* Vide ‘Veterinarian/ April, 1853, p. 223. 
