528 
diseases oe the blood 
ladle de Sologne, poxirriture aigiie, or acute rot, in its most prevalent 
and destructive form. This disease, or stage of disease, consists in 
a peculiar alteration of the blood, developing itself under the influ¬ 
ence of the same causes which produce hydrohemie. We will, 
therefore, abstain from enumerating them, and will particularly 
direct our attention to the description of the particular characters of 
the blood in this disease. 
This fluid placed in a hematometre—a vessel for ascertaining tlie 
quantity of blood drawn—takes the consistence of a thick S 3 Tup 
like blood the fibrine of which has been extracted by stirring with 
a wisp; no clot is formed, and the fibrinous matter remains dis¬ 
solved in the serum. As to the hematosine, it is in a very small 
quantity, and appears sensibly changed. 
Dulness, discharge of tears, salivation, and lowering of the tem¬ 
perature of the extremities, are the precursor signs of this disease. 
A short time after the appearance of these symptoms, a discharge, 
at first mucous, and then of a bloody hue, proceeds from the nos¬ 
trils ; the tears become red, diarrhoea ensues, and the faecal matter 
suon becomes tinged with blood. The urine offers the same cha¬ 
racter. In a word, the blood exudes from the greater part of the 
mucous surfaces. 
This disease, the progress of which is exceedingly rapid, destroys 
almost all the animals which it attacks. On examination after 
death, there are collections of blood in the cavities of the chest and 
the abdomen; there are also numerous ecchymoses in all the tis¬ 
sues. M. Delafond inquires whether it is possible to attribute an 
alfection like this to any other cause than the peculiar alteration 
of blood by which it is characterized. The fluidity of this liquid 
easily explains, according to him, its transudation to the surface 
of the mucous membranes, and the effusions which are found in 
the tissues. We perfectly agree with him in his opinion on this 
subject. 
Although this disease is almost always mortal, M. Delafond pre¬ 
scribes a mode of treatment, if not efficacious, yet at least rational. 
It consists, first of all, in removing the cause as much as possible, 
and in giving to the animals food of the best kind and in proper 
quantities,— to which he adds the stalks of Spanish broom and 
the leaves of green trees. He also recommends camphorated spirit 
united with tincture of quinine, applications that have been em¬ 
ployed with some success in Flanders*. 
* We have some difficulty in recognizing the precise character of this disease, 
as so many names and so many descriptions are given of it by the French writers. 
It seems to answer most to that species of dropsy which arises in the sheep 
from various causes, but which is always an attendant on the last stage of the 
rot. One fault which wc find, even with the very best of the French writers. 
