22 
T. D. IIINEBAUCH. 
ing in contact with other horses suffering from the disease. 
Any condition which will render the system more susceptible 
to an attack of the germs which produce the disease acts as a 
predisposing cause, and should be carefully guarded against. 
When present it aggravates the disease, if it exists, and is 
often directly responsible for the death of the animal. 
Complications. —The catarrhal form, where there is only 
a discharge from the mucous membrane lining the nasal pas¬ 
sages, throat and windpipe, constitutes the simplest or uncom¬ 
plicated form, and is the one present in most instances. Be¬ 
sides this form there may be present complications of the 
lungs (pulmonic), of the stomach and intestines (gastric), of 
the liver (hepatic), of the kidneys (renal), of the eyes (opthal- 
mic), and of the joints (rheumatic). In addition to these 
forms, the nervous system may be implicated, giving rise to 
convulsive fits and coma. We have also known influenza to 
settle in the fore feet and induce navicular arthritis (coffin 
joint lameness) causing a permanent lameness, which contin¬ 
ued during the life of the animal. 
Results of Influenza. —When the termination of the 
disease is unfavorable, either death results, or some organ of 
the body remains permanently disabled. Blindness occasion¬ 
ally succeeds an attack of influenza, becoming permanent. 
Animals affected in this manner should not again be used for 
breeding purposes, for the defect is liable to be transmitted to 
the progeny, and produce another unfortunate animal whose 
days must be spent in total darkness. When influenza attacks 
a certain organ of the body, it is the weakest one. It may 
have been originally weak, or may have been the result of 
some injury previous to the attack of the disease under con¬ 
sideration. In any case it is very difficult to arrive at a just 
conclusion, hence we should take no risks in breeding animals 
of this description. In many instances the respiratory apara- 
tus remains defective, so that the animal cannot assimilate the 
proper amount of oxygen, and in consequence tires easily 
upon slight exertion, which no doubt lias given rise to this ex_ 
pression, “ ever since this horse had the distemper, he puffs 
and blows upon the slightest exertion.” 
