This is chiefly useful in cases of pleurisy. As already noticed the vibration of the chest walls which accompanies the early friction sound is sometimes perceptible by the hand applied on the side of the chest. Pressing firmly in the intercostal spaces at the affected part invariably causes wincing and in cattle grunting. Pinching the back in inflammatory chest diseases in cattle but especially in pleurisy has a similar effect.
MENSURATION.
Measurement of the chest gives less reliable results in the lower animals than in man. A cord four feet long should have one end placed on a definite point on the withers and not removed until both sides have been examined. It should be first carried down to a point in the middle of the breast bone and the distance marked by a knot; a comparison may be made by carrying to the same point over the opposite side. It should next be carried successively to the lower end of the 8th rib on the two sides and the difference marked, and lastly from the lower end of the third rib to the lower end of the eighth. These measurements should be made at one stage of the respiratory act, say when the chest is fully dilated, and similar measurements when the chest is collapsed to ascertain any difference in the expansion of the two sides of the chest. In the smaller animals any difference in the expansion of the two sides may be observed by inspection only, the practitioner standing directly behind the animal and watching the movements of the two sides from this standpoint.
A permanent dilatation of one side may be seen in water in the chest confined to one side, and particularly if of some standing. Complete hepatisation of one lung gives a similar result. The intercostal spaces are observed to be wider than usual in such cases, and the movements of the opposite side of the chest are much more extensive than of the affected one.
A collapse with limited movement of one side is an accompaniment of chronic disease of the lung, with wasting of its substance as in cases of tubercular deposit.
DISEASES OF THE LUNGS.
Divisions of lung diseases. Bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, their results, nervous disorders, asthma, hiccough. Œdema. Emphysema. Morbid growths, neoplasms. Infectious and parasitic diseases.
Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory organs situated within the chest may be divided into: inflammation of the air tubes within the substance of the lungs—bronchitis:—inflammation of the spongy tissue of the lung—pneumonia:—inflammation of the covering of the lungs and lining serous membrane of the chest—pleurisy:—and complicated cases in which two or more of these conditions coexist. Beside inflammatory diseases there are the various permanent morbid results of these affections, such as consolidation of lung from exuded products becoming organized; collapse (compression) of lung from organization and contraction of false membranes, thickening or dilatation of bronchial tubes as a result of bronchitis; also nervous affections, such as asthma and hiccough; morbid alterations in the lung tissue independently of inflammation, as pulmonary or pleural œdema and emphysema; specific morbid deposits, as tubercles, glander nodes, cancer, melanosis, etc., and morbid states, due to parasites, as in the verminous affections of cattle, sheep, etc.
BRONCHITIS.
Relation to other maladies of the air passages. Horse. Causes, susceptibility, heat, cold, sudden changes, thick coat, rebreathed air, on shipboard, in zoological gardens, in close stables, in navies, organic matter in expired air, water vapor in expired air, effect on the air and bacteria. Ingesta in bronchia. Medicinal liquids in bronchia in horses and cattle. Exposed locations. Clipping. Smoke and gaseous irritants. Symptoms, in mild cases, in severe: fever, cough in dry stage, after secretion, auscultatory sounds, percussion, discharge, watery, glairy, frothy, later milky, flocculent, purulent. Convalescence. Capillary and pseudo-membranous form. Intensity of symptoms, labored breathing, dyspnœa, violent cough, pinched countenance, dark mucosæ, perspirations, palpitations, asphyxia. Course, duration. Termination, difficult expectoration, blocking of bronchia, pneumonia, bowel susceptibility, skin congestion, laminitis. Chronic condition. Lesions, congestion and contents of bronchia, soft, thick, friable mucosa, absence of vascular ramification, tenacious mucus, false membranes. Collapse, atelectasis, splenisation, emphysema, bronchiectasis. Treatment, in mild cases, in severe, hygienic, steaming, sulphur dioxide, derivatives, guarded laxative, neutral salts, calmatives, expectorants, alkalies, stimulant, oxygen, peroxide of hydrogen, iodide of potassium. Diet. In advanced stages tonics.