The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-11-26

An animal which to-day is in perfect
health, breathing regularly and without
pain or difficulty, suddenly, without as
signable cause, suffers from irritation of
the membrane which lines the air pas
sages. and Immediately becomes con-
scious of the entrance of the air, which
formerly produced no impression on the
parts in their healthy condition. This
extreme sensibility continues for time,
then gradually ceases. and the respira-
ton is carried on as before without any
pain, or even consciousness on the part
of the animal Of the presence of the at
mosphere which just before had proved
so irritating.
1t is usual to refer an attack of cold
to sudden change of temperature, eth
er from cold to hot or the reverse, au-
thorities not being agreed as to which
kind of change is the most dangerous;
but, although in many cases a cold is
contracted under these circumstances,
it is matter of observation that they
only act upon small percentage of the
individuals who are exposed to them;
and it follows that there must be GER
tain tendency or susceptibility in the
system of the animal before the atmos-
pheric influences can produce any inju-
rious effects. This susceptibility to the
action of the causes of disease is sub
ject on which much has been said and
written, but we are as far from com.
pretending its true character as ever
we were. There are no signs exhibited
by the susceptible subject which will
enable the observer to form any opin-
ion as to the degree of susceptibility,
and. in fact, there are no means of de-
Gliding whether or not an animal is sus.
ceptible to particular affection, with
out bringing 1t under the influences OF
the causes of the disease in question.
Ordinary diseases of the breathing
organs are likely to effect all kinds OF
animals under certain circumstances;
in other words, it may be said that
large number of animals on the farm are
more or less susceptible to the effects
of exposure to inclement weather and to
atmospheric changes. The degree of sus-
ceptibility differs widely in different
subjects; and there is no doubt that it
may be highly cultivated by the adop-
ton of an artificial system of breeding
and feeding stock. 1t is an inevitable
consequence of natural selection that
a hardy race is produced, the weakly
subjects certainly succumbing to the
adverse conditions with which they are
surrounded; but in domestication the
conditions are modified, and the preser-
walton of the weekly becomes an object
which is pursued with certain amount
of success, the total result being that
the more highly an animal is cultivated
the more necessary it becomes to keep
it from exposure to those adverse con.
ditions which in natural state of ex.
istence it would have resisted.
Common cold is not disease of seri-
Gus Importance in itself; but during its
continuance the system is in a febrile
state, and therefore prone to any in
flammatory affection. Animals suffer.
ing from cold show an increase of in
ternal temperature, with an unstable
state of the mucous membrane which &C.
casions coughing and sneezing.
Psychologists recognize several distinct
stages into which a cold during its prog
ress may be divided. First, there is the
dry stage, in which the membrane of
the air passages is red, from excess of
blood in the vessels; dry, from the alb
sence of the natural secretion, and
tumid, from the distended state OF the
blood vessels. This stage is the most
dangerous, IS the febrile state assumes
its most pronounced form.
In the second stage the distended YES
sells relieve themselves by pouring forth
a Serious fluid, which covers the surface
of the membranes, but, from its watery
nature, does not afford any protection
to the irritable surface.
After time the secretion from the
mucous membrane assumes more of the
true characters of mucous; but it is
poured out in large quantities, and gives
rise to discharge from the nasal open
ing. This third stage of the disease is
true catarrh. The irritability of the
mucous membrane is materially dimn-
ished during the mucous stage of cold
in fact, the occurrence of the discharge
may be looked upon as the first step
toward recovery, London Field.