700 IRISH CENTRAL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
anything unusual, excepting that the ordinary respiratory murmur 
was much weaker and less distinct, while her breathing was varied, 
at one time much increased, while at anotlier lower. She had a 
short dry cough, but no discharge in the least ever came from the 
nose. Considering the case one of true pulmonary consumption I 
had her sides blistered, and gave her every description of tonics 
and nourishment, but I found no benefit from them—if any, it was 
from ground oil cake and oats mixed, but it acted at first as a 
purgative on her. I then gave her to a farmer, who intended 
putting her on grass, but she was found dead in the field about a 
month after. Both tubercles and abscesses were found in the lungs 
on post-mortem examination. 
The treatment of phthisis in the horse can only have effect in the 
early stage of the disease, at a time, perhaps, when it would 
scarcely be in our power to detect it. Counter-irritation, as blis¬ 
tering, &c., are the principal external remedies, while warmth, 
good diet, ventilation, and tonics, are the internal. 
Oil cake, ground and mixed with oats, has a most decided benefit 
on colts which are delicate, either from growing too fast, or have a 
consumptive tendency. The production of the disease shows us 
how important it is to attend to our young horses during their 
development, and especially during the maladies incidental to 
colthood. 
Abscesses in the lungs do not frequently occur. Mr. Field, in his 
valuable records, gives us some cases of them—in one instance 
where, on the post-mortem of a case of emphysema, he found a 
bucketful and a half of opaque, thick, whitish fluid in the chest, as 
well as a great quantity of coagulable lymph, and abscess to a great 
extent existed in the base of the right lobe of the lungs; in a 
second case of pulmonary consumption, with appearance of farcy, 
in which he found the lungs contained several small tubercles, with 
the left lobe hepatized and disposed to ulcerate; while in a third 
case where he found both lobes of lungs affected, but most particu¬ 
larly the left, the anterior, middle, and inferior parts being con¬ 
siderably hepatized, and containing many black abscesses of highly 
fetid pus, together with an enormous cavern, through which the 
fluctuating and rattle was distinguished during life. The right 
contained a less cavern, but having contracted a recent adhesion to 
the ribs. When abscesses of this kind take place the patient is 
too far gone, in ail probability, for treatment to be effectual, but 
there is no doubt that they do occur as chronic sequels to lung 
diseases. 
Gentlemen, I have now concluded, and the only apology I can 
offer for the imperfections of my essay is, that it was written 
amidst the hurry and difficulties of an extended practice, when, as 
most are aware, “hours cannot be counted on or moments trusted.” 
If it is only the means, however, of inducing a good discussion on 
the various points of importance I have touched on, I will feel satis¬ 
fied and repaid, whilst some benefit must result from it, and help to 
fill up the vacant link in our pathology of chest affections. To me 
