Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-11-22
The Horse Epidemic-HOw to Treat
It,
OFFICE ILLINOIS HUMANE SOCIETY,
200 WABASH AVENUE. -

beneficial to horse owners throughout the
country. We would especially impress
upon all the importance of not submitting
a horse to the treatment of quacks.
EDWIN LEE Brown, President.
VIM. II. SHARP, Secretary. "a gG
SYMPTOMS.
PrOstration of strength; loss of appe
tite; hot mouth and sore throat; swallows
withad difficulty; coughs frequently; pulse
quick, so to 10; eyes watery and red; dis
charge from nose; cold legs and ears
disposition to droOp; looseness of bowels.
TREATMENT.
Keep the patient well blanketed, in a
clean, airy stable; give it a steaming, by
placing peck of scalded oats into bag,
and so tying this to the head that the steam
from the oats will be inhaled, until dis
charge from nostrils is of natural color;
sponge eyes and nostrils with lukewarm
water several times during the day. If the
throat is sore or swollen apply the follow
ing, by rubbing it well from the jaws to
the chest, twice a day: Tincture of Arni.
ca, Chloroform, Ammonia, Sweet Oil,
each four ounces; mix well. If the legs
are cold, bandage them loosely. If the
rseiataken with chills and fever, mix
one ouncesTinc.s sAconite leaves withthree
ounces of soft water; give teaspoonful
every hour until the symptoms abate.
Feed the animal on warm mash of
oatmeal Cruel; givecabout two quarts at
time. If a bottle is used for the pur-
pose, be sure that it is not so thin as to
make it's breaking liable. Instead of
water give your horse hay tea, from a
pail in which you have stirred in hand
full each of powdered slippery elm bark
and licorice root; clean the pail every
time after watering. If the horse feels
better, do not work it for two or three
days. Absolute rest is necessary.
The morbid appearance to be seen in
the post mOrtem examination of horses
dying of this disease, proves it to be con-
dition of Inflammation, affecting the lin
ing membrane of the passage of the nose,
windpipe, and the larger bronchial tubes.
Covering as it does very extended sur.
face by reason of the duplicatures to the
spOngy bones in the nose of the animals,
it fully accomplishes one of it's principal
functions, to warm the air passing over
it, thus protecting the delicate structure
of the lungs from the. sudden gradations
of temperature.
It also secretes a bland mucous which
moistens its surface and preserves more
perfectly its relations as means of CON-
municatiOn between the external world
and the delicate apparatus of the lungs,
and since in the horse more than in the
human subject the respiration is confined
to the nasal passage, so the integrity OF
the tissues necessary to health, especially
when we remember the rapid motion of
the animal, and increased size, demand a
much larger and more violent current of
air.
Much has been written of the various
e ~ = o,., 49, n nto Of
this kind, but perhaps the most rational
and fully accepted is the zymotic, which
supposes the entrance into the system of
a cell or organic particles, which being
rapidly multiplied by a process of fer
mentation at last developes the symptoms
of the epidemic disease So,
An endemic therefore is a reproduc-
tion of like disease in other subjects,
the morbid cause being furnished from
preceding cases. Each subject, therefore,
being an effect of the morbid agency, as
we'll as cause for its continued propa-
cation, .. ....s.t t
The stages of the infammatory attack
are three in number. The first, conges-
tion or stagnation of blood in the small
vessels which constitute SO essential a
part of this membrane. Secondly, the
stage of resolution or of secretion and
characterized by the profuse discharge.
Thirdly, the stage Of yeonvalescence, in
which the discharge ceases and the func-
ton of the part is resumed. The morbid
appearance of the first stage is a re1den.
ing of the affected membrane, more or
less intense according to the intensity of
the attack, the small veins coursing
over the surface. being swollen and the
blood contained in them being almost
stagnant. The secretion is nearly dry,
and the general symptoms are those of
fever. This stage lasts but few hours
and in many cases is so brief as to escape
notice. III ~ k@Et srs RFA
In the second stage the membrane is
more livid, the blood-current slower, the
turgid veins and thickened membrane fill
the air passage, and render the breath
difficult, aided by the swelling of the sub
mucous glands in the throat. In the Sc
we're forms of the complaint Inflammation
of the tonsils also occurs, with suppura-
tion of the glands beneath the Jaw In this
stage secretion takes place of a profuse
character. It is at first clear, rapidly be-
comes creamy, thick and yellowstone
times greenish, and, in the violent forms
of the complaint, bloody. The beneficial
effect of this secretion is of a twofold
character; first, to deplete the engorged
vessels, giving rest to the Inflammation,
leading it to a favorable issue, and, Sec
ondly, it furnishes channel for drawing
off the morbid matter in the blood, while
its absence or sudden suppression is a
very unfavorable symptom. The secre-
ton takes place from all the surface of
the lining membrane of the nose, throat,
windpipe, and the portion of the affected
membrane lining the air-tubes. The gen.
eral symptoms in this stage are from the
slight fever of the mild cases to the ex-
treme depression Of vitality marking the
severer forms, with feeble pulse, cold ex-
tremity, dullness of the senses, and total
lndltterence-symptoms of great exhaus-
ton.
The third stage in favorable cases is
marked with Improvement in the general
condltlon OF the animal; pulse is -firmer,
eye brighter, appetite improves. rnuscnlar
activity returns, the secretion gradually
decreases and loses its mattery Character
and becomes clear and normal This
stage lasts from four to seven davss.
In unfayorable cases the vital energy is
very much reduced and a condition of
typhoid intervenes, ending fatally. In
some cases the complication is the ex-
tensiye suppurationf of the important Sc
cretive glands of the mouth and throat.
Probably the most grave condition is in
flammation of the lungs, and is most com
monty induced by a sudden arrest of the
discharge, generally from exposure OF the
horse, and occurs most frequently
as "sequel" of the mild forms,
in which the APPARENT mildness OF
the symptoms lead to the neglect
of the animal, or its being worked. An
other complication equally fatal in the
extension of bronchial inflammation tC