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In the time of that most eloquent of veterinary writers, Percivall, a man’s sanity 
would no doubt have been gravely questioned had he recommended the use of stim¬ 
ulants in such a disease as Pneumonia. In his Hippo-pathology in speaking of the 
treatment of this disease he says, it may be necessary to bleed once, twice or three 
times within eighteen hours. He considered blood-letting imperative, and that too 
“without any regard whatever as to the state of th e.pulse or condition of the patient.” 
Truly Pneumonia must have been considered a very formidable disease at that time 
if no possible condition of the system could render immunity from bleeding. Consider¬ 
ing that Pneumonia tends to recovery, I do not think we are wide of the mark when we 
say that the treatment then adopted, greatly increased the mortality in this disease, 
while had its pathology been clearly understood and its clinical history observed, the 
fallacy of their theory for its successful treatment would have been detected and rem¬ 
edied long before it was. 
As it was in this disease, so it was in many others, until step by step the belief 
that a disease must be treated in conformity with certain prescribed rules, without any 
regard to the modifications indicated by the condition of the patient, died away ; and 
comprehending more fully the conditions we have to deal with, we treat our diseases 
to dav with less prejudice, and with more regard for the scientific principles establish¬ 
ed by a better knowledge of the ailments to which the domestic animals are subject, 
and an increased understanding of the action of many medicines, especially Stimulants. 
Ringer in speaking of stimulants says “they are most serviceable in the prostration 
from acute illness, when in common with the other functions, digestion is much depress¬ 
ed, at a time when it is most important to support the strength until the disease has 
done its worst. Strength no doubt is best supported by food, yet the weakened 
stomach can digest but sparingly. At this critical stage Alcohol well spurs the flagging 
digestion, and enables the patient to take and assimilate more food.” To get the best 
results from the use of Alcohol, the doses should not be large, and more often 
repeated. 
If a large dose is given the heart is strongly stimulated, and when the Alcohol is 
decomposed or eliminated the heart is left unsupported, when great weakness may set 
in; whereas smaller and oft’ repeated doses keep the heart more uniformly supported. 
In man, if the use of alcohol is too long continued, it induces catarrh of the stomach, 
a condition no doubt to be expected in our patients from the abuse of this medicine. 
One author states that he has often successfully used alcohol to control the after stages 
of acute simple diarrhoea. It acts by giving tone to the relaxed mucous membrane 
which is allowing the liquid parts of the blood to pass into the intestines causing those 
frequent watery dejections. Alcohol taken internally reduces the animal temperature. 
Dr. Rickards finds that after moderate doses have been given the temperature will fall 
from four-tenths to six-tenths of a degree F. In poisonous doses the reduction is very 
much greater, reaching in man as much as three degrees Fahrenheit, while in rabbits a 
fall of ten degrees has been noted. Alcohol diminishes the oxidation of the tissues of 
the body, according to the testimony of such eminent authority as Drs. Harley, Bocker, 
H ammond, Smith, and others. “It strengthens the contractions of the heart, especially 
when this organ is weakened by debilitating diseases, which are always attended by a 
quickened and weakened pulse.” 
It is one of the most powerful cardiac tonics we have in disease, and this tonic 
property combined with its influence in promoting digestion, explains its great useful¬ 
ness in many diseases. In those acute diseases which run a definite and limited course, 
