Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-05
The Horse EpidemIc-lIOw to Treat
OFFICE ILLINOIS HUMANE SOCIETY, !
500 WABASH AVENUE,

{ ucAGo, November 8, 1872.
WE give below such statements regard
ing "The Horse Epidemic" as our expert
ence with it leads us to believe will be
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,
SYMPTOMS
| Prostitution of strength; loss of appe-
tite; hot mouth and sore throat; swallows
with difficulty; coughs frequently; pulse
quick, 80 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 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 q 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 day: TinCture of Arni-
ca, Chloroform, Ammonia, Sweet Oil,
each four ounces; mix well. If the legs
are cold, bandsge them loosely. If the
horse is taken with chills and fever, mix
one ounce Tine. Aconite leaves with three
ounces of soft water; give teaspoonful
every hour until the symptoms abate.
Feed the animal on warm mash of
oatmeal cruel; give about two quarts at
time. II bottle is used for the pur-
pose, be sure that it is not so thin as to
make its 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 ii to be q 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 its principal
! functions, to warm the air passing over
it, thus protecting the delicate structure
OF the lungs from the sudden gradati0ns
| of temperature.
1t also secretes a bland mucous which
mostens its surface and preserves more
| perfectly its relations as a means OF COM
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
| theories of the Calisation of epidemiCs 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 DEVELOPS Inc symptoms
of the epidemic disease.
An epidemic therefore is reproduc-
! ton 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
well as a cause for its continued propa-
I
| cation.
The stages of the infammatory attack
! are three in number The first, Conges-
/ ton or starnatjon 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 Convalescencc, in
( which Che discharge ceases and the func.
! ton Of the part is resumed. Themorbid
! appearance Of the first stage is redden
/ ing Of the affected membrane. more or
I less intense according to the intensity Of
( the attack, the small veins coursing
I over the surface being swollen and the
blood contained III them being almost
I Staguant. The secretion IS nearly dry,
I and the general symptoms are those Of
fever This stage lasts but q few hours
( and in many cases is SO brief as to escape
notice
/ In the second stage the membrane Is
more liyij, the blood current slower, the
turgjd veins and thickened membrane I'll
the air passage, and render the breath
difficult, aided " the swelling the sub
mucous glands Ii the throat In the Sc
we're forms Of the complaint Inflammation
OF the tonsils also occurs, with suppura-
tion Of tne giIuds beneath the jaw, In this
stage secretion lakes place of profuSe
character II IL az frat clear, randy be.