Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-09-25
pleuro.pneumonis in Illinois.

DR. Joseph Hughes, of Chicago, re-
ported TO the National Live Stock
Journal. We give only extracts:
NATURE OF THE DISEASE.
Pleuro- preumonia may be defined
to be a contagious. febrile disease, con-
fined entirely TO cattle, and depending
on a specific blood poison, which
gains entrance TO the system by the
respiratory passages, eliminating itself
on the lungs, and IN doing so produc-
ing characteristic changes on the lung
tissue and pleura. The contagion is
spread by the poison exhaled from
the lungs, and how far this poison can
be carried by the atmosphere is I'M
known; distance OF three hundred
feet between diseased and unaffected
herd being thought to ensure safety.
/ When the poison enters the lungs and
I lodges itself on the mucous membrane
of the bronchial tubes. its incubatory
period commences. This period ex-
tends according to the susceptibility
of the animal, or to some unknown
properties possessed by the virus from
twelve days to three or even four
months. =
The active stage commences by irri-
tation of the portion OF lung about to
be affected Inflammation attacks the
portion; there is great etfuslon into
the interlobular connective tissue, and
air vesicles; the bloodvessels and
lymphabc ducts become occluded, the
circulation is stopped, and the part of
the lung affected becomes a hard,
resisting mass, or, in other words, 1t
is hesatized. While these changes
are taking place in the substance of
the lung, pleura, forming its outer
covering, participates III the Iutamma-
tory process. On its surface is etfused
considerable quantity of lymph.
This lymph becomes solidly organized
into bands which bind the lung to the
chest wall or to the diaphragm. The
disease may attack whole lung, or
both lungs, or only very small por-
ton of one,
SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE.
# thermometric observations are
daily made, the first symptom is varia
ton in temperature of the affected
animal The temperature may be
this morning 104', tomorrow morn
ing 1882, and the following one 104',
again. This may continue for sew
eral days, the animal eating, ruminat-
ing and apparently healthy. a low,
/ dry, short cough is now heard which
/ is very peculiar in chara cter; or the
cough NAV be, and often is, present
before any alteration in the tempera-
ture takes place. The haIr stands
erect, the animal refuses food, rumin-
alton is suspended, the secretion of
milk diminishes, and then suddenly
stops; the bowels are constipatcd
The breathing now becomes labor
ed, and auscultation of the chest
reveals structural changes in the
lungs. On pressure being applied
along the spine, and in the space be-
tween the ribs, tenderness is evinced,
and the breathing accelerated. In
| some cases this IS extremely so. The
| pulse is quickened and weak, in some
cases full and soft, in others hard and
wiry. The breathing becomes pain.
| full and irregular, nostrils dilated,
eyes clear and prominent in early
stages get cloudy. The fore legs are
wide apart, the elbows turned out so
as to relieve the chest wall from pres
sure. The head carried low, the nose
extended and at each expiration a
grunt is emitted. The hide firmly
adhered to the body, the hair is star
| ing and harsh,in appearance. Horns,
ears, and eXtremities vary greatly
in temperature The muzzle remains
in great many cases moist, some
times dry.
| On auscultating the chest apply
| ing the ear to the Sides, we hear diff
/ ferent sounds as the air rushes through
diseased portions Of lung We re
quire to be familiar with these sounds
in order to correctly interpret their
meaning, We may find the charac-
teristic ronchus and sbilus with the
crepitating sounds of broncho.pheu-
nonia, and these sounds are the most
common; and then, again we hear
4 tke friction sounds caused by the two
infamed layers Of pleura rubbing to-
/ gether. Where we find a hepatised
or solid portion, the sounds are very
badly marked, and in a great many
cases arc totally indistinct. If one
/ lung only IS affected, the respiratory
murmur heard on the healthy side is
much louder than normal as it adj
mits more air.
/ On percussing tapping with the
finger points,, the chest walls over a
diseased portion, if the lung is solid,
dull sou. is emitted, without any
resonance, the latter being dininish-
ed in proportion to the amount Of in
filtration and hepatization of lung
tissue. When the healthy side is per
cusssd, the sound is hollow and
/ resonant. AS the disease advances to
fatal termination, all the symptoms
/ become more aggravated, gas accumu-
lates in the rumen, a foul diarrhua
sets in, followed by great prostration
Of the vital powers, the temperature
falls. the dyspnna amounts to sutfoca-
ion, the animal stagger about with
nose extended, gasping Tor breath, the
cough is more frequent, piteous grunts
are emitted with each expiration. the
recumbent position assumed, and
death slowly ensues, either from suf-
location, from blood poisoning, or
from failure of the hearts action, due