ON THE INFLUENZA. 
479 
respiration is an alarming symptom of influenza; but, then, the 
quickened breathing prevails by “ fits and starts,” as though it 
were spasmodic, or rather—as it does, we believe—as though it 
proceeded from irritation of the air (in its influenzal condition ?) 
upon the bronchitic membrane. And this paroxysmal accelerated 
breathing we ave seen more remedially tranquillized by ether 
than by blood-letting. In fact, in our opinion, it is the want of 
consideration that this, together with other symptoms calculated to 
create alarm, occurs under circumstances of prevailing influenza, 
which has led veterinary practitioners into error in their treatment 
of such disease. It ought to be borne in mind that the certain 
issue, if not the natural origin and tendency, of influenza, is debility ; 
and, bearing this in mind, we ought to be very wary how we per¬ 
mit ourselves to use the lancet and other depletive remedies in the 
manner or to the degree we would were the complaint bronchitis 
or pleurisy in an ordinary form, or in an ordinary subject. We 
will not go so far as to say that a man is not warranted in bleed¬ 
ing at all at a time when influenza is complicated with and rendered 
dangerous by supplementary attacks upon the membranes or organs 
of the body; but we give it as our decided opinion, based upon no 
little practice, that the blood-letter ought to be content with the 
smallest possible amount of abstraction of the vital fluid, and that 
the circumstances must be extraordinary indeed to warrant any 
repetition of the evacuation. And certain it is that, when he has 
bled, he will in the sequel find his patient suffering much more 
from debility than if he had succeeded in treatment without blood¬ 
letting. 
For our own part, for the usual attack of influenza we give, 
simply, at first an aperient; and after well fomenting the throat 
with water as hot as a man can bear his hand immersed in, and 
steaming the nose well with the vapour arising from it, we have 
the throttle (or vives) and upper part of the neck opposite the wind¬ 
pipe, thoroughly rubbed with the liniment, ammon. cum terebinthine. 
The spongio piline will be found of great service as a means of 
long-continued application of warmth with moisture to the throat— 
as a sort of poultice to it, in fact. And at such times as any irri¬ 
tation has been manifested by quickened breathing, we have found 
great benefit conferred by giving ether, in ounce doses, two or three 
