216 DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 
inferior part of the lung is present, the murmur is still more 
audible; and in the event of cavities being formed, the sounds 
at the lower part of the thorax may be more sonorous than 
those at the upper part, and yet the cavity shall be half filled 
with fluid. 
In these very difficult cases it will be observed, that in 
many parts of the chest where there are no cavities or adhe¬ 
sions, the peculiar change in the sounds of the upper and 
lower parts are still apparent, and if the indications are not 
under the circumstances satisfactory, they will justify a 
strong suspicion, which may be readily tested by the simple 
operation of puncturing the chest. 
Not merely to satisfy curiosity is the operation to be 
advised, but the examination of the effused fluid will mate¬ 
rially assist the prognosis; should it prove to be serous, 
of a yellow colour and transparent, not coagulating, and 
having little or no sediment, recovery is probable: if the 
colour is white, the sediment copious, and a general opacity 
in place of transparency be observed, and further, if under 
the microscope there are seen many granular corpuscles 
and pus globules, a fatal termination may be confidently 
predicted. 
Treatment will be exceedingly simple: no active measures 
are admissible, counter-irritation will stand first, and may 
be repeated as often as the judgment of the practitioner 
shall dictate; febrifuge medicine, with tincture of opium or 
hyoscyamus, may be exhibited frequently ; low diet, consisting 
principally of bran tea during the first stage will be enjoined, 
and great care taken to preserve a moderate and uniform 
temperature. Tonics may be exhibited as soon as the acute 
symptoms have subsided. Tincture of gentian, bark, and 
nitric acid in small doses, are among the most effective. 
Sulphate of iron will be indicated when effusion occurs. 
Under the most careful treatment cases of bronchitis will 
frequently proceed to a fatal termination, but as compared 
with other acute diseases of lungs, it is probably the least 
destructive of any; especially when it occurs uncomplicated 
with those affections of heart and liver so frequent in young 
horses, and to which allusion has recently been made. 
{To be continued .) 
