EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
477 
striking evidence afforded how far the treatment is to be regulated 
by the character of the disease. While you had influenza, your 
patient would not bear bleeding ; the loss of even but a moderate 
quantity would impair, if not impede, the cure ; debility would 
supervene, and death might follow. But if, at the end of the se- 
cond or third day, 'pneumonia should supervene, you may take blood 
with as much impunity as if no previous disease had existed.” 
In this last sentence it is that Mr. Gabriel and us are at variance 
in our theory. We have for some length of time held opinions 
in consonance with the one here adduced ; but experience has not 
warranted the retention of them. We have of later years been in 
the habit of regarding the disease of pleura and lung, either con- 
comitant with or consequent on influenza, as inflammatory action 
of the same asthenic or specific nature as that which constitutes, in 
the mucous membranes, influenza itself, and we have been as much 
afraid to draw blood for the one as for the other ; and we have felt 
satisfied that our practice — which has been principally among 
three and four and five year old horses — has proved more success- 
ful when the phleam has been withheld. We feel fully sensible 
what remonstrance, or even reproach, we run the risk of incurring 
at the hands of our brother practitioners, and especially of the older 
ones, for refusing to let blood in pleurisy or pneumonia. We can 
only reply, by repetition, that the non-bleeding practice has suc- 
ceeded best in our hands. Nor can we account for our success by 
any other reasoning than that of the pleurisy and pneumonia, &c., 
we have to treat being, though “ a more severe disease,” still one 
of an influenzal taint or type, from consisting in inflammation — be 
the inflammation of what part or organ it may — arising and running 
its course in a constitution already tainted or rendered “ impure” 
by the presence or pre-existence of influenza. Or, to set our ex- 
planation in accordance with Mr. Gabriel’s views of the nature 
and tendency of influenza, we may conjecture that the “ impuri- 
ties” are still remaining, uncast off, in the system; and that Na- 
ture, baulked and defeated in her ordinary course, has sought other 
channels — the pleura, lungs, liver, &c. — through which she might 
succeed in eliminating them. 
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VOL. XXIII. 
