ON THE DISEASE TERMED FELTRIC. 255 
the animal, in despite of the most active treatment which may be 
pursued to arrest its progress. 
In anasarca, three indications of treatment may be considered 
necessaiy. First, to take the animal into the stable (and, if pos¬ 
sible, a roomy box); secondly, to evacuate the effusion already 
apparent; and thirdly, to prevent its return. The second ob¬ 
ject may be obtained, in some measure, by topical means, as 
scarifications, stimulating embrocations or blisters, fomentations, 
especially with the decoction of oak bark, friction, bandages, See. ; 
and by the use of such medicines as increase the action of the 
absorbents. With respect to the first three, I think they may 
be injudiciously applied, as I do not recollect having seen any 
benefit derived from their use, and there may be some danger of 
their inducing gangrene. Venesection is contraindicated, as the 
blood when drawn presents a large proportion of serum, with a 
paleness of colour and a flaccidity of the coagulum. There is 
also some risk in using setons, as it is difficult to promote a 
healthy suppuration, and the consequence may be an unhealthy 
inflammatory action. The third indication is, to remove what we 
suppose to be the exciting causes of the disease, and to endea¬ 
vour to invigorate the system. 
In the early part of my practice I supposed that the exciting 
cause might be an obstruction or morbid action of the digestive 
organs; and, under that impression, I commenced the treatment 
with a cathartic. But my efforts to cure the disease by catharsis 
were obviated by an extreme irritability of the bowels, which ren¬ 
ders it not only difficult, but almost impracticable to apportion 
the dose; indeed, the bowels are so susceptible of the stimulus of 
aloes, that, at the commencement of the disease, I have seen su¬ 
perpurgation produced in a three-year-old colt, full of flesh, by 
two drachms, and death was the consequence. In this case, the 
morbid appearances after death were, an inflammation of the mu¬ 
cous coat of the bowels, a serous effusion into the cellular mem¬ 
brane, with a general laxity of the muscular fibre. These appear¬ 
ances were sufficient to convince me that my preconceived notions 
as to the exciting cause were somewhat erroneous, and that prac¬ 
tical knowledge was more requisite for veterinarians to possess 
than favourite theories. 
I abstracted a small quantity of blood from the next patient 
which I attended labouring under anasarca, in order to ascertain 
its quality; and, after it had coagulated, it presented the appear¬ 
ances above described. 
Conceiving that physic was contraindicated, I ordered a liberal 
diet, and treated the case successfully with vegetable tonics, com¬ 
bined with stimulating diuretics; and by this mode of treatment 
