THE INFLUENZA OF 1830 
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sigh. These are the first symptoms. Their duration is uncer- 
tain. It varies from one to eight days ; but in general there is a 
change on the third or fourth. Fever succeeds, accompanied or 
soon followed by inflammation. What is going on in this pre- 
febrile stage cannot be told. In vulgar language, the disease is 
said to be working or brewing ; and I know not that science can 
give a more expressive name. I have sometimes thought I could 
detect inflammation lurking about the throat or the bronchi. 
The throat, at least, is often tender, and the nasal membrane 
flushed immediately before the fever is developed. Rigor, as an 
antecedent of influenza, has not, to my recollection, come under 
my notice for two or three months. 
The febrile symptoms are well known. The hot mouth, hot 
surface, quick pulse, scanty secretions from the bowels, kidneys, 
mouth, skin, lungs, and other organs ; the flushed eye, and the 
scarlet nostril ; the prostration of strength, and the aversion to 
food, require no description. When these symptoms are present, 
the horse is fevered. They belong to all fevers ; but in influ- 
enza, especially the thoracic influenza, the debility is excessive 
and characteristic. The horse is weak from the beginning, and 
debility increases as the disease advances. The fever is seldom, 
perhaps never, fully developed till inflammation is established ; 
but in some cases the inflammation is not apparent, possibly it 
does not exist, till the horse is fevered, for one or two days. In 
some, the fever comes on very suddenly, runs high, and soon 
reaches its acme. In others, it advances by slow degrees, and is 
not fully developed till after four, five or six days. In these 
cases the febrile commotion is not generally so great as in the 
others, but convalescence is slower. In a great number of cases 
the horse is so slightly fevered that he requires no medical treat- 
ment. In one stable there were above fourteen horses attacked. 
Eight or ten of these did a portion or the whole of their usual 
work, which was slow and not very laborious. They all lost 
flesh very rapidly, and were, indeed, shamefully emaciated. The 
fever was gone when a practitioner was called to treat the ema- 
ciation. They recovered, however, some of them receiving cor- 
dials and continuing their work. Some of the others were bled ; 
one or two were laid up; but I believe the result would have been 
nearly or quite the same although nothing had been done. The 
disease was in a mild form, and there have been very many cases 
of the same kind. 
Progress of cephalic Influenza . — The prefebrile stage is of short 
duration ; very often it is not observed ; perhaps it does not al- 
ways occur ; sometimes a shivering fit is the immediate and pos- 
sibly the only antecedent of the fever. The fever itself is sud- 
