617 
HYDROTHORAX SUCCESSFULLY TREATED. 
Bi/ Mr. T. G. Webb, Whitechapel. 
I TRUST that one who has studied and practised the veteri¬ 
nary art, although not a graduated veterinary surgeon, may not 
be considered presumptuous, if he forwards to you the history of 
a case which is common enough, but very rarely successfully 
treated—I mean pneumonia terminating in hydrothorax. 
The horse in question belonged to Mr. Batley, of Whitechapel, 
and was bought by him at a country fair. He is eight years 
old, cart bred, and about fifteen hands and a half high. On the 
30th of September 1835, I was requested to attend to him ; but, 
beinor from home, it was nine o’clock in the evening; before I 
could see him, when the following symptoms presented them¬ 
selves :— 
The tunica conjunctiva and Schneiderian membranes were 
highly injected; the extremities were excessively cold; the 
mouth hot, and very dry; the breath likewise hot; the breath¬ 
ing laboriously quickened; the inspiration lengthened, and the 
expiration rapid. The animal was standing with his fore-legs 
apart, and, as it were, immoveable. He occasionally looked anxi¬ 
ously at his sides : his head was protruded, and nostrils expanded. 
The pulse was 97, and oppressed. 
The cause of the disease was change from cold to heat. The 
horse came from the country, where he had been at grass nearly 
night and day, for when he was not working he was turned out; 
but now, being confined in a hot stable, inflammation of the 
lungs was soon produced. 
Treatment. —V. S. Vo xviij. Being anxious to abstract as 
much blood as the case would admit, I made a large orifice in 
the jugular vein, and suffered the blood to flow until the pulse 
had altered its character. The animal soon afterwards appeared 
much eased. I then passed a seton under the integument at the 
anterior portion of the thorax, and one on each side; and gave 
a ball composed of hydr. submuriat. ^ss, potas. nit. ^j. I ban¬ 
daged the extremities with flannel, and ordered that the horse 
should be brought to my infirmary in the morning, as the dis¬ 
tance was but short. 
Oct. l,?f.—Pulse increased to 104; repeated the above ball, 
adding camph. 3 ij. 
2d. —Better; pulse lowered to 85; ball repeated, adding 
thereto digitalis 3 ss : setons dressed with unguent, terebinth. 
3(i.—Pulse intermittent, from (30 to 75; administered ball 
VOL. VIII. 4 p 
