INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 
233 
assume its natural character; and, next to this, the lying down 
quietly and without uneasiness; shewing us that he is beginning 
to do without the auxiliary muscles. These are good symptoms, 
and they, too, will rarely deceive. 
Terminations of Pneumonia.—Congestion is a frequent termi¬ 
nation of pneumonia. Not only are the vessels gorged,—the 
congestion which accompanies common inflammation,—but their 
parietes are necessarily so thin, in order that the change in the 
blood may take place although they are interposed, that they 
are easily ruptured, and the cells are filled with blood. This 
effused blood soon coagulates, and the lung when cut into presents 
a black, softened, pulpy kind of appearance, termed, by the fariier 
and the groom, rottenness, and being supposed by them to in¬ 
dicate an old disease. It proves the violence of the disease, the 
rupture of many a vessel surcharged Avith blood ; and it also 
proves that the disease is of recent date ; for in no gi’eat length 
of time the serous portion of the blood becomes absorbed, the 
more solid one becomes organized, the cells are obliterated, 
and the lung becomes hepatized, or bears considerable resemblance 
to liver. The farrier is now, however, becoming a little enlight¬ 
ened on this point, and regards this appearance of the lung as 
indicating intense but recent disease; yet only a few years ago 
many a dealer was unjustly punished in his pocket for selling a 
rotten horse, whereas the inflammation and effusion had been 
produced by some accidental cause, or by too early and severe 
work after the animal had left the dealer^s stable, in which he 
had been made up for sale. Here is a very fine specimen of 
congestion. The cells appear to be all filled ; the lung is quite 
impervious; respiration could no longer be carried on, and the 
horse died of suffocation. Here is another specimen in which 
the inflammation appeared also to pervade the whole of the 
lung; there is a redness; great turgidity of the vessels every¬ 
where, but it has not run on to effusion : the vessels were not 
ruptured. 
The Value of Auscultation. —In every case of pneumonia, have 
early and anxious recourse to auscultation. Make yourselves 
perfectly acquainted with the deep distant murmur presented by 
the healthy lung. This sound is most distinct in the young 
horse, and especially if he is a little out of condition. On such 
a horse the tyro should commence his study of the exploration of 
the chest. There he wilHmake himself best acquainted with the 
respiratory murmur in its full state of development. He will next 
take an older and somewhat fatter horse ; he will there recognize 
the same sound, but fainter, more distant. In still older and fatter 
liorses there will sometimes be a little difficulty in detecting it at 
