86 
A. LIATJTARD. 
consult his motions, his aspect, often his desires, and often from 
nothing, make his conclusions. Everything must be carefully 
weighed and considered without partiality or pre-coneeived 
idea. 
The condition of the patient forms a very important part of 
the record, for it is that condition that will help the practitioner 
to justify the diagnosis he may make, help others to recognize the 
same disease, and help the making of a correct veterinary 
pathology. 
The description of the symptoms may be considered as of 
those which may be called specific and those which affect the en¬ 
tire organism, and are of a general character. An alteration in 
the function of respiration as characterized by an increased dilation 
of the nostrils; an acceleration of motion at the hypochondriac 
region or at the flanks; changes in auscultation and in percus¬ 
sion ; peculiar forms of coughing—all these may be considered 
as specific symptoms of lung diseases. The general symptoms 
are those that are offered by the changes found in other functions, 
such as the condition of the circulation, as indicated by the pulse 
and appearance of the mucous membrane; the condition of the 
digestion by the appetite ; the state of the abdomen by the as¬ 
pect of the faeces; the condition of the nervous centers by the 
more or less marked diminution of the strength of the animal, 
and a general febrile condition by the registered heat of the 
thermometer. 
These general symptoms ought not to be neglected, and in 
mentioning them I do it because I am afraid many of our young 
practitioners and recent graduates may be too apt to overlook 
their value. 
When these are well obtained and recorded, and not until 
then is the practitioner ready to make his diagnosis, that is to spe¬ 
cify its nature and its seat. Truly this will then, in many in¬ 
stances, be easy to make, but often, also, it will be sufficiently 
difficult, and it is then, when the answers to all these observations 
remain obscure, that still more their importance presents itself 
and becomes emphasized. 
To prognosticate, in its etymological ’ acceptation, means to 
