Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/352

 332 VETERINARY SCIENCE elusion of horses and mules, Prince Edward island from its being unapproachable by rea- son of ice, and Key West, Hayti, and Jamaica by their insular position, while Cuba suffered because of imported American horses. The disease was finally arrested at Panama, where the state of the country forbids the use of horses. It reached the Pacific coast not at San Francisco, but at Santa Barbara by the line of stages from the mining regions of Ne- vada. It took nine months to travel from Toronto to British Columbia, and eleven to reach San Salvador. Nothing but contagion will account for the manner in which the epi- zootic spread, though a considerable latitude must be allowed for the conveyance of the germs through the atmosphere. The alleged propagation by ozone is incompatible with its severity in cities, where this agent is usually absent. Tha origin of the epizootic is very obscure. The only peculiarity of the month preceding the outbreak at Toronto was an un- usual number of thunder storms. Incubation extends from one to three days. The attack is usually remarkably sudden; hence the names Blitzkatarrh, la grippe, &c. A horse which half an hour before seemed in robust health may suddenly droop his head, ears, and lips, partially close his eyes, and stand with one or two legs semi-flexed to find relief from his weariness. He maintains one position, or moves unsteadily and reluctantly with arched back and cracking joints. The hair is erect, the skin tender, the nose and extremities cold, and there may be trembling or even nervous jerking. Sometimes the prostration is much less marked, and a cough may be the main or only symptom for a time. It is dry, husky, and frequent, attended with accelerated breath- ing, increased temperature of the body, hot clammy mouth, rapid compressible pulse, scanty high-colored urine, and hard mucus- covered dung. The membranes of the nose and eye are reddened, often with a tinge of brown or yellow (pinkeye) ; and the ear placed over the lower end of the windpipe detects an unusually loud blowing murmur. In slight cases a watery discharge from the nose changes into a white mnco-purulent one, the cough be- comes loose and easy, fever subsides, and re- covery ensues. More frequently, toward the third or fifth day the cough becomes deep, painful, and paroxysmal, pulse and tempera- ture rise, appetite becomes fastidious, eyes swollen, red, and watery, nose livid, with spots or patches of brown or yellow or of blood- staining; swallowing is painful, water being returned through the nose, and the throat tender to the touch. The chest is involved, and if the lungs are implicated there is a want of resonance on percussion over the affected part, and a fine crepitation when the ear is applied ; if the pleurte suffer, there is ex- treme tenderness when that part of the chest is touched, and a low rubbing sound, which soon gives place to silence and dulness of percussion up to a certain level. If the ab- dominal organs are attacked, there is great torpor and stupor, tense tender belly, with dusky mucous membranes, and yellow, brown, or red urine, with small weak pulse, quick catching breathing, w^ak painful cough, and costive bowels, one or two balls being passed rather frequently but with much straining and coated with mucus. In fatal cases prostration becomes extreme, breath fetid, anus puffy and relaxed, dung soft, bloody, and slimy, pulse im- perceptible, eyes sunken, limbs deathly cold, and debility extreme. Rheumatism, dropsy, paralysis, and inflammation of the eyes are occasional complications. In the treatment a warm, airy box, comfortable clothing, and lax- ative and easily digested food are essential. Relieve costiveness by copious injections of warm water or two or three drachms of aloes, and follow up with mild febrifuge diuretics (liquor of acetate of ammonia 3 oz., extract of belladonna 1 dr.), repeated twice daily. In case of severe sore throat, mix the belladonna with chlorate of potash, vinegar, and honey, and smear on the back teeth, to be swallowed at leisure. In extreme prostration, or after the fever subsides, use stimulants (aromatic ammonia, carbonate of ammonia) and tonics (tincture of gentian). The inflamed region may bo fomented, wrapped in warm sheep- skins, or rubbed with a mixture in equal parts of strong ammonia and olive oil. If the bowels are involved, give a mild laxative (olive oil, -J to 1 pt.), with mucilaginous drinks and anodynes (opium $), the last two being continued twice a day. The other complications must be met as they appear, and according to their indica- tions. II. STRANGLES, or DISTEMPER. This is a fever of solipeds, attended with nasal catarrh and swelling and abscess between the bones of the lower jaw, or less frequently in groups of lymphatic glands elsewhere, or in some inter- nal organ (lungs, kidneys, brain, &c.). It es- pecially attacks the young, though no age is exempt, and is largely precipitated by change of feeding, work, heats and chills, hot impure stables, emigration to a new locality and cli- mate, and other results of domestication. The irritation attendant on teething and shedding the coat is not to be forgotten. Contagion is a further cause. Second attacks are unusual unless the subject has been removed into a new district in the interval. The disease usually sets in slowly, the animal appearing to be thri- ving badly for a time, and losing his accustomed energy. Then a cough sets in, with redness of the nasal mucous membrane, watery dis- charge from nose and eyes, slavering, fever, cos- tiveness, scanty, high-colored urine, and thirst. Then a uniformly smooth, hot, painful swelling rises between the branches of the lower jaw, or beneath the ear, gradually softens in the centre, and bursts, discharging a white cream- like matter. The nasal discharge has mean- while become thick, white, and abundant, and swallowing and even breathing may be difficult