PLEURISY
—is a disorder in the horse so nearly allied to an INFLAMMATION of the LUNGS, that probably the most judicious and experienced Veterinarian would not, without much difficulty, be enabled to distinguish between one and the other. The predominant symptoms are sudden and violent: he first becomes heavy, dull, and oppressed; soon shews great difficulty of respiration, pants exceedingly; is distressed with an almost incessant painful endeavour to cough: the mouth continues, from the commencement of the attack, hot, parched, and dry: at this time he is exceedingly restless, frequently laying down, and as suddenly rising; but as the disorder advances, he stands in his stall so overwhelmned with fever, pain, and bodily oppression, that he displays no wish or desire to vary his position, but stands fixed in one posture, resigned to his fate. As the disease approaches nearer its crisis, a slimy saliva appears in the mouth, and a ropy viscid discharge from the nostrils. This being one of the disorders so rapid in its progress, and so destructive in its effects, as sometimes to set all efforts to relieve at defiance, every necessary means of counteraction should be most expeditiously adopted upon the first discovery of the attack.
It is in general produced by some sudden and powerful revulsion; as an instantaneous change from heat to cold, in which the perspiration becomes so severely checked by a collapsion of every pore, that NATURE sustains a shock, productive of almost immediate and perceptible morbidity. Journies of speed, and afterwards standing still in cold rains, or sharp winds, as well as being supplied with water when in a high state of PERSPIRATION, are probably the principal causes from which the disorder is mostly known to arise. The direct road to cure is too plain and unequivocal to admit of different opinions. Bleeding, and that both largely and repeatedly, must be submitted to, if circumstances require it; no hope of relief can be expected without it. It is no uncommon thing to bleed a horse four or five times in as many days, and his recovery to be justly attributed to that important mode of subduing inflammation. Gruel, impregnated with small quantities of NITRE and GUM ARABIC, should be the common drink. Mashes, of ground malt and bran, should be placed in the manger boiling hot, that the head, throat, and glands, may derive every possible advantage from FUMIGATION, to assist in taking off the pulmonary stricture, and promoting a plentiful discharge from the nostrils, which is one of the leading proofs that the disease has reached its crisis, and may be considered the first indicative expectancy of recovery. In the greatest bodily debility, when no food is taken, a cordial ball, dissolved in gruel, should be given (with a horn in small quantities at a time) twice a day. Equal parts of the wort squeezed from the malt, and good clean-boiled sweet gruel, should be patiently held before the horse twice or thrice in every hour for some minutes: from the great internal heat, he is frequently induced to swallow a quart or two at each time; although, if offered and taken away in haste, he might invariably decline it. It is only by such persevering attention, both NIGHT and DAY, any expectation of cure can be entertained.