* 
ON FEVER IN THE HORSE. ‘251 
f 
4 
kept in very warm stables, highly fed, and have very little ex¬ 
ercise are peculiarly liable to it. 
Like most other disorders, however, and oftener, indeed, than 
most others, fever makes its appearance without any evident or 
determinate cause, unless we choose to ascribe it to those vicissi¬ 
tudes which are so common at the seasons when fever most 
prevails. Occasionally it assumes a sort of epidemic form, blend¬ 
ed with catarrhal and anginal symptoms: under which type it 
has obtained the appellation of “ catarrhal, epidemic, See. See. 
fever.” 
DIAGNOSIS. 
The only probable disease, I conceive, we are liable to con¬ 
found idiopathic fever with, is pneumonia. 
That disordered or deranged state which assumes the form of 
fever in the incipient state, may continue and develope itself into 
a more perfect and decided form of fever; or, it may prove only 
to have been the precursor of some other disease. 
The disturbed breathing in idiopathic fever never amounts to 
the hurried, laborious, and painful heaving of the flanks we have 
in inflammation of the lungs. It may be said the same symp¬ 
toms are present in symptomatic fever, or fever arising from local 
injury, or where pus is forming: allowed ; but then there are al¬ 
ways some other concomitant symptoms to guide us, such as cold, 
clammy sweats, indicative of pain; or the pointing of a foot, if 
that be the seat of injury. Fever arising from external injury, or 
from local disease, is commonly more violent and active than any 
spontaneous febrile attack: it assumes more the form of painful 
or distressing irritation than mild and progressive disease ; and 
is altogether such as the experienced observer refers directly to 
its proper source; ever keeping in view the previous history of 
the case. 
PROGNOSIS. 
The prognosis will generally be favourable, the most unfavour¬ 
able and frequent termination being in inflammation of the lungs. 
CURE. 
. In speaking of the treatment of fever, I consider it necessary 
only to confine myself to it in its simple form, every one being 
fully aware, that when it is the consequence of local inflam¬ 
mation, that is the primary object to be attended to. 
We must be guided in the use of the lancet by the state of 
the pulse; for, though I would advocate blood-letting under all 
circumstances that had reference to inflammation, still here it 
