267 
ON PNEUMONIA. 
These may be considered, from their rendering the lungs more 
susceptible, and causing a greater determination of blood to them, 
to be the leading and principal excitement to penpneumony. 
There is considerable difference of opinion, as to whether in 
creased heat or exposure to cold, or the transitions fiom one to 
the other, is the most prevalent cause ot this complaint. The 
theory that appears to me to be the best grounded, is, that it 
arises from the alternations of heat and cold, fiom whichevei 
the transition be to the other. * 
Professor Coleman, to whose opinion I yield much deference, 
informs us, when speaking of the effects of tempeiatuie, that it 
is the change from cold to heat, and not from heat to cold, that 
produces inflammation of the lungs. I think, if 1 lecollect light, 
he savs, that no disease whatever will take place by the change 
from heat to cold; and he certainly acts from such a belief, for 
we know that exposure to a cold atmospheie fonns pait of his 
treatment for the cure of this malady. 
Now, gentlemen, if this doctrine be true, what need have we 
for the preparation which, no doubt, most of you aie in the 
habit of recommending, and consider necessary, before we turn 
horses to straw yard ? Why do we first lea\e off then clothing, 
then put them into a cool box, and afterwards advise their being 
taken in for the first two or three nights, if we did not imagine 
the sudden exposure to cold injurious? I would say, that if it 
depended on one change only, the very opposite of the Pro¬ 
fessor’s opinion was most likely to be true ; and I am borne out 
in so savino- by the considerable support this opinion derives 
from the two following questions'What is more likely to pro¬ 
duce inflammation than a check to peispnation ? and What is 
more likelv to check perspiration than the application of cold ? 
The usual argument to account for the change from cold to 
heat producing inflamed lungs is, that horses, and inoie espe¬ 
cially young horses, rarelv escape an attack of Pneumonia when 
taken from grass or straw yard, lo this 1 think it may he 
replied, that there is not only the change we are speaking of, 
but that which, in my opinion, is much worse—a great change in 
diet. To this we may attribute much more mischief than to the 
change from cold to heat. I very much question, it a hoise was 
taken from a state of nature, where we will suppose the tem¬ 
perature to be fifty, and put into a capacious and lolty box, oi into 
such a place as a riding-school, where the temperature should be 
seventy, and let him be fed wholly on green food, and turned 
loose, that he may take exercise at his disci etion ; I say, I veiy 
much question if any injurious consequences would arise , or at 
all evejits, if he would suffer from inflammation ot the lungs. 
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