788 EASTERN COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
two pieces of leather; percussion, which, in the early stages, yields 
no very satisfactory results, now gives a dull sound ; of course, all 
their sounds being subject to variation depending upon the severity 
the case, &c. The disease is now rapidly nearing its termination ; 
the whole surface of the body is found cold. Eyes sunken, anxious 
expression of countenance, nose projected—to facilitate as much as 
possible respiration—grunting, great uneasiness, often lying down 
and getting up; breathing rapid and difficult, staggering gait, 
' diarrhoea, and death. 
The advisability of treatment depends, firstly, upon the condition 
of the animal, whether lean, or in fair condition, or fat; secondly, 
upon the stage the disease has arrived at when we are called in. 
I will waste no time in enumerating the many and variable methods 
adopted. Should I be called upon to see an animal in the last stage, 
I invariably advise its destruction, as I am convinced that the treat¬ 
ment of such cases is of no avail, and only brings upon us discredit; 
for if we succeed in keeping them alive for a few days, with at last 
a fatal termination, we are only blamed for not having advised its 
destruction in the first instance. Cases arrived at the second stage 
are serious enough, but here sometimes (as when the animals are 
of no value to slaughter) we are justified in putting them under 
treatment. Here I adopt counter-irritation to the sides and chest, 
so as to produce a lai’ge amount of effusion into the areolar tissue 
beneath the skin, give a gentle saline aperient, combined with 
stimulants, as turpentine, ether, carbonate or aromatic spirit of 
ammonia; but even in this stage our percentage of recoveries are 
small. Should I be fortunate enough to be called in earlier, so as 
to see animals in the first stage, I have met with better success. 
Apply counter-irritation, give a saline aperient, combined with a 
large dose of spirits of turpentine, 10 oz., which I repeat without 
the aperient, at intervals of twelve hours, until three or four doses 
have been given, and follow with carbonate of alum and vegetable 
and mineral tonics. I have no faith in sedative treatment. 1 allow 
a liberal supply of oatmeal gruel, linseed tea, linseed cakes satu¬ 
rated in water, or indeed anything of a nutritious and not too in¬ 
digestible nature that they incline to take, as I think their partaking 
of any kind of food is at all times a favorable sign. 
Where our treatment is not very successful we are frequently 
called upon (and, indeed, I always advocate it) to endeavour to 
prevent the extension of the disease. Here, I think, our labour is 
rewarded with good success. I commence by carefully examining 
all the animals and removing to separate boxes all those showing 
any suspicious symptoms—such as a cough, separation from the 
rest of the herd, dulness, and staring coat, or impaired appetite, and 
place them under treatment as adopted in the first stage ; to the 
remainder I then give a saline aperient, combined with potass, nit., 
insert setons in the dewlap, and follow with the administration of 
sulphite of soda or ferri sulph., and make some change in the diet; 
carry out careful inspection every morning, and separate any 
showing suspicious symptoms. It is frequently a difficult matter to 
