PURPURA HyEMORRHAGICA—CEDEMA,ANASARCA, ETC. 
339 
ations accelerated, the appetite usually good, or may be preca¬ 
rious. The rise in the temperature, when it occurs, is caused 
by septic poisoning, and at this stage there may be sloughing of 
the skin from the great pressure on it, or from poor circulation 
through it, or gangrene may occur from the same cause. In 
this case it leaves a large ulcerous sore. Metastasis often occurs; 
the swelling which has been in the legs and belly suddenly 
leaves and appears in the head, causing great dyspnoea, and it 
would seem as though tracheotomy would 'be necessary, but the 
animal will almost always die from septicaemia if tracheotomy 
is performed; or the swelling may disappear and produce 
intestinal oedema, which is manifested by great abdominal pain, 
and usually produces death, or it may terminate in an exhaus¬ 
tive diarrhoea, which is haemorrhagic in nature; or it may 
produce pulmonary oedema', in which case there would be 
marked dyspnoea without swelling of the head; this would 
indicate metastasis into the parenchyma of the lung, showing a 
dullness on percussion and rales by ausculation. This usually 
produces death by asphyxia or asthenia. Septicaemia is very 
often the cause of death, especially if there be any sores or 
wounds on the animal, the symptoms being those of septicaemia 
(rise in temperature, rigors, hurried breathing, fast, weak, wiry 
pulse, etc). 
The prognosis must always be guarded, as an apparently 
benign case at first may prove fatal in a very short time 
while a very severe case may terminate by resolution in a few 
days. 
Treatment .—Medicines must be used to alter the blood,— 
to produce fibrin factors and more red blood corpuscles, and 
reduce the watery portions. My line of treatment is usually 
potassium chloride in half-ounce doses to produce fibrin factors 
and reduce the watery portions, iron to stimulate the production 
of red blood corpuscles, ergot to regulate or give tone to the 
blood-vessels, and quinine as a tonic. I also use showers of 
cold water on the oedematous parts to produce a shock to the 
vaso-motor system controlling the blood-vessels. 
