164 
EPIDEMIC CATARRH IN HORSES. 
discharge from the nose; inflammation of the larynx, in 
which the pharynx is involved ; pulse full but irregular; in- 
clination to eat, but great difficulty in swallowing. As the 
disease progresses, the breathing becomes difficult, a whist- 
ling noise being heard at a considerable distance, which, if 
not relieved, will eventually cause suffocation. It attacks 
horses of all ages, from the sucking colt to the aged horse. 
I was called upon by J. C., Esq., residing near Glendale, 
Ohio, requiring my attendance on a valuable three-years-old 
colt. On my arrival at the farm, I found the animal had 
died a short time previous. The owner had applied some 
slight remedies himself, not thinking it was anything serious, 
until it began to take on a malignant form, when it was too late, 
and he thus lost a horse worth $1000 ; whereas, had I seen the 
animal earlier, he might have been saved. On looking over 
the stock, I selected out four two-years-old colts, affected 
with the same disease, gave a febrifuge draught to each, and 
applied counter irritation to the throat and trachea. The next 
day I selected six others of various ages, treated them all in a 
similar manner and left. In two days, I was requested to 
look at a brood mare and foal, both of which were affected. 
The mare got worse, and on the second day her head was 
swollen to such an extent that it was with the greatest diffi- 
culty she could breathe. Everything possible w T as done to 
reduce the inflammation. Steaming she could not bear, as 
it required all the fresh air she could get to prevent suffoca- 
tion. I perceived she w r as getting uneasy, trying to call 
her foal, pawning the ground, and her look of anguish as she 
tried to breathe w r as pitiable to witness. She now made 
several attempts to lay down, but w 7 as afraid. I knew ^here 
was no time to be lost, for unless she had immediate relief, 
death w'ould soon put an end to her suffering. I therefore 
suggested the operation of tracheotomy, to which her owner 
gladly consented. I at once made an incision, and excised a 
portion of the trachea, but having no tube, I made one from 
a piece of elder w r ood, which answered the purpose. The mare 
was immediately relieved. She continued to breathe through 
the tube for tw r o days, w 7 hen the inflammation began to sub- 
side, and I removed the tube and closed the w'ound. The 
mare is now out on pasture doing well, and the others are 
all convalescing . — Cincinnati Journal of Medical Science . 
