140 
HYDROTIIORAX, THE RESULT OF PLEURISY. 
I think we ought not wholly to discard the idea of blood- 
letting in such diseases as the above, nor in some others of a 
kindred nature. 
With regard to medicines, Mr. Stephenson, as I have before 
stated, attaches great importance to the use of mercury, but 
he does not say in what doses lie gave it, or would recommend 
it to be given, nor how often, and whether any particular 
symptoms would cause him to desist from its further use. 
He thinks, however,—at least I draw this inference,—that it 
is proper to keep the animal under its influence for a time. I 
quite agree with him in the value of this agent in such cases, 
but should consider it necessary, when pushed to a certain, 
extent, which would be indicated by the state of the mouth, 
that its use may be wholly or partially discontinued, and then 
perhaps a saline draught, with tartar emetic or digitalis, in 
small doses, used in its stead. 
Had counter-irritation been needed, I have no doubt Mr. 
Stephenson would have had recourse to it. Perhaps he had, 
but as he does not allude to it, we may infer that his case was 
a mild one, and did not require such an adjuvant. I cannot 
but think that irritants to some part of the chest are often of 
great value. But the question may be asked, in what stage 
of the disease ought they to be used? 
With regard to the operation of 'paracentesis in cases of 
hyd rothorax, great eclat is often gained by the veterinary 
surgeon’s performance of this simple operation, should he be 
fortunate enough to have his patient recover, whether this be 
due to the operation, to the treatment otherwise, or to nature 
herself; or should he, in a less favorable case, have performed 
the operation, and drawn off a very large quantity of fluid, and 
the horse die—as i believe he commonly will, for I have heard 
of only one recovery under such circumstances—the practi¬ 
tioner will then be considered to have done all that possibly 
could have been done. 
It is astonishing how early in this affection an effusion of 
serum takes place into one or both the pleural sacs. The dry 
condition of the inner surface of the pleura, consequent upon 
the hyperaemic condition of the sub-pleural blood-vessels, 
does not always last long, and I verily believe, in many cases 
which recover, that a considerable effusion had existed, and 
the fluid become reabsorbed, without suspicion being enter¬ 
tained of such having been the case. And not seeing any 
reason why it should not be so, I have doubted very much 
the value of the operation. I am, therefore, inclined to think 
that many of those cases which recover after “ tapping,” 
would have lived if the operation had not been performed at 
