Lesions. The liquid effusion, usually unilateral, except in the horse may amount to 40 quarts in the latter animal, 30 quarts in the ox (Rigot), and 5 to 6 quarts in the dog. Unless there has been a recent sudden accession of inflammation it is of a pale straw color, with, in the dog, a slight rosy tinge. It clots loosely on exposure to the air and contains a large amount of albumen and few cell forms. The false membranes are thick and white at some points and red and vascular at others. In the main they are completely organized. The lung is more or less collapsed and the right heart dilated and attenuated.
Treatment must be in the main tonic, diuretic and derivative. Food must be nourishing, digestible and in liberal amount; diuretics and bitter tonics with digitalis and, (if there is little fever) preparations of iron are to be pushed as far as the strength will allow; and the counterirritants applied to the sides of the chest a number of times in succession. Iodides may be used internally and externally, and paracentesis must be employed unless early improvement is manifested.
PLEURODYNIA.
Definition. Symptoms, stiffness, pointing of fore limb, catching inspiration, tender intercostals, less fever, cough, and hardness of pulse than in pleurisy, no friction sound nor signs of pleuritic effusion. Treatment, antirheumatic, derivatives, colchicum, alkalies, salicylate, salol, phenacetin, warm (steam) bath, warm building and clothing.
Definition. Rheumatism of the intercostal muscles. This has been occasionally observed in the horse, and is liable to be mistaken for pleurisy, which it closely resembles in its symptoms. There are the same stiffness of the fore limb on the affected side, the same short breathing, the same fixed and inactive appearance of the ribs, and the same extreme tenderness on pressure as in pleurisy; but the high type of fever, the cough and the full hard and accelerated pulse are usually absent; the tenderness tends to shift from one point to another, there is no shivering nor friction sound in the early stages, and no subsequent absence of sound and deadness on percussion over the lower part of the chest as result from effusion. When associated with fever it is very difficult to distinguish from pleurisy, and its recognition can only be made by these physical signs just mentioned.
Treatment. This must be the same as in rheumatic attacks in general. Rub the chest actively and repeatedly with a mixture of equal parts of spirits of turpentine, laudanum and olive oil, give ½ drachm doses of powdered colchicum daily and bicarbonate of potass freely in the water drank. Or give four times a day 2 drachms of salicylate of soda, or 1 drachm of salol, or phenacetin. A warm building and warm clothing are essential elements in treatment.
BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN THE DOG.
Definition. Pathology, neurotic origin, bronchial spasms, swelling of mucosa, fibrinous inflammation of bronchioles, Berkart’s streptococcus, irritants formed in indigestion, overfeeding, inactivity, plethora, constipation. Symptoms, obesity, sluggishness, recurrent paroxysms of dyspnœa, hard cough, tense abdomen, constipation, piles, depilation of skin, tartar covered teeth, fœtid breath. Retching, vomiting, a glairy mucus, emaciation may follow. Lesions, emphysema, fatty deposits in mediastinum, old standing diseases of the heart, lungs and digestive organs. Treatment, antispasmodics by lungs or rectum, stramonium, nitre fumes, emetic, purgatives, vegetable diet, exercise, sedatives, blisters. Asthma in the horse.
Definition.—A neurotic affection mainly affecting the pneumogastric nerve, and leading to paroxysms of stenosis or constriction of the bronchioles and attacks of dyspnœa. In its initial stages it is associated with corpulence and disordered digestion, and later with congestion and swelling of the mucosa of the bronchioles, emphysema, and dilatation of the right side of the heart.
Pathology. Asthma is generally attributed to spasm of the bronchial muscles (Williams), and though recent observations have failed to sustain this it must be admitted that in the majority of cases it is of decided neurotic origin. Again it is attributed to erythematous swelling in patches of the bronchial mucosa, (Clark). Another theory is that it is a fibrinous inflammation of the mucosa of the bronchioles, the tenacious exudate blocking the tubes more or less completely and relief coming with a more diffluent secretion. Berkart found a streptococcus in the sputa which he supposed to be the final cause. Again it has been held to depend on the circulation in the blood of deleterious matters introduced during digestion. Again it has been attributed to a neurosis roused by constipation and the accumulation of irritant matters in the intestine. Whatever local conditions may be operative, there can be no doubt that in dogs it is almost exclusively confined to those kept indoors, overfed, without exercise, plethoric and constipated. The disease seems to originate in and persist by nervous disorder propagated from the digestive organs. A change of diet or any disturbing cause may bring on a paroxysm.