PROFESSOR SIMONDS* LECTURE. 
521 
had before stated his opinion that this disease was not an inflam¬ 
matory one, and, in order to explain his views on this portion of the 
subject, he directed their attention to the diagrams of the lungs of 
the ox and the horse, and pointed out the difference between the 
two animals in the arragement of the structures entering into the 
composition of these organs. The vitiated air did not directly 
produce any injurious effect on the lungs; if so, they might expect 
that the animal would shew it by a cough, &c. The air entering 
into the lungs, the poison was abstracted by them, then carried b}' 
the blood into the system, and produced the most virulent form of 
the disease by reacting on the lungs. He could not go through all 
the symptoms or morbid consequences of this affection. What he 
had said would suffice to shew that in all diseases of this kind, just 
in proportion as the air-cells become pressed together and the chest 
confined, so would be the effect of the difficult respiration, ulti¬ 
mately causing death. While this was going on, the oxygen in 
the lungs did not exercise the beneficial influence which was found 
in an healthy state, and the blood consequently became more car¬ 
bonized. This over-carbonization produced other derangements of 
the organic functions, and principally of the digestive organs; hence 
the diarrhoea which immediately precedes death. 
He next alluded to the treatment to be observed with the affected 
animal, and first spoke with reference to the propriety of bleeding. 
Excessive bleeding would be injurious. If the disease was disco¬ 
vered early, he would recommend bleeding, but its extent must 
depend on the acuteness of the attack. He did not recommend 
bleeding under the supposition that it would produce a diminution of 
inflammation; but he recommended it that the poisoned blood might 
be removed from the system, and thus afford relief to the lungs of 
the animal. Great care should be taken so that the svstem was not 
%/ 
debilitated, as too much bleeding would weaken the animal, and 
might produce injurious results. Another mode of treatment was by 
the application of medicinal agents. The first he would allude to 
was the exhibition of aperient medicine. The alimentary canal was 
the means by which we directly purified the blood, and removed inj u- 
rious matters from the system. Another of the agents which they 
might employ to subdue the disease was diuretic medicine, and as 
these did not produce so much debility in the lower animals, the 
proper use of them was allowable. They ought to give water 
which was impregnated with nitre. He considered that opium, in 
combination with calomel, might also be used. They had all heard 
of brandy and water, and, as a stimulant, it might be efficient. If 
the animal had entered the second or third stage of the disease a 
stimulant might be necessary, and brandy would probably be found 
beneficial; but he should say that the compounds of ammonia 
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