SEROUS CONGESTION.

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NEWLY-FORMED STRUCTURES and parts that have been the seat of prior inflammatory attacks, are, in an especial manner, disposed to paroxysms of congestion. The bronchial membranes of horses habitually subject to chronic cough, or that have roaring, or broken wind, shew this during the changes from dryness to moisture, or the reverse, in the atmosphere. In some horses, so irritable is the mucous membrane of the bowels, that exposure to cold will produce an attack of diarrhoea.

SEROUS CONGESTION. In those parts of the body in which the seriferous order of bloodvessels terminate, many of them in exhalents, and through these terminations exhale a sero-albuminous vapour for the purposes of moisture and lubrication, it frequently happens that accumulations of this serous fluid take place, imperceptibly to us, as well as unconsciously-at least, without producing any inconvenience to the animal himself, and without any previous or existent signs of inflammation such are called serous congestions. These cases can hardly be denominated inflammatory, seeing that they occur without the quadruple combination of signs-heat, redness, swelling, and pain-which we all consider indispensably necessary to the existence of inflammation: indeed, often the only one among them that we can recognize is swelling, and that manifestly owing to the presence of the collected fluid. It is by no means uncom→ mon to meet with a circumscribed tumour in some part of the body where the skin is loose; which, on being opened, proves to be a collection of serous fluid in the sub-cutaneous cellular tissue, and which has come on without any sort of discoverable cause or antecedent inflammatory action whatever.

In the internal cavities of the body, likewise, we occasionally find accumulations of serous fluid, without any accompanying signs or traces of inflammation: in the cavity of the pericardium; in the ventricles of the brain; and, also, within the thorax and abdomen. In this respect there appears to be remarkable sympathy evinced between these several parts: should a horse die from water in the chest, we find very often water collected in his belly, and likewise within his brain; in which two

last-mentioned cavities the effusion may be regarded as the result of serous congestion.

SANGUINEOUS AND SEROUS CONGESTION may exist in combination. When a horse's legs fill from standing in the stable (which they do from serous infiltration into the areola or cells of the cellular membrane), the tumour is not the result of inflammation, but of sanguineous and serous congestion, in consequence of standing long without exercise: blood accumulates in these parts remote from the heart; the seriferous vessels, especially, suffer from distention, and the easiest mode in which they can relieve themselves is to suffer the fluid to exude through their exhalent terminations. A disposition of parts like unto this may pervade the whole limb, as well as any cavity, organ, or individual part of the body, and thus give rise to that condition of it which we designate by the general name of dropsy.

:

WINDGALLS of all denominations may be regarded rather as the effect of congestion than of any inflammatory disorder. They form, generally speaking, without heat, and without causing lameness they are, in fact, hypertrophic bursa mucosa, originating in congestion and augmented secretion, induced by the frequent or undue exertion of parts, and are not by any one of the present day, I believe, considered unsoundness-simply indications of work.

This superficial sketch will, probably, be deemed sufficient to shew that the subject of congestion is deserving of a place in veterinary pathology; that there really does exist such a state, and that it is one well worthy the attention of those by whom it may hitherto have passed unheeded or disregarded, or even altogether denied. I was once, myself, in the class of unbelievers; but I must confess that my opposition has been borne down by the force of practical testimony, and its undeniable application to this new and fast-spreading doctrine. Those who wish for more pathological exposition than the limits, or, indeed, design of this work will admit of, may consult with the greatest advantage M. Andral's writings on the subject.

ANEMIA MAY GIVE RISE TO DISEASE.

ANEMIA.

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We believe that the blood may exist in the animal body to a greater amount than is required for its economy, or is altogether compatible with its health; in like manner we are of opinion that the same fluid may, under some particular circumstances, exist in a less aggregate quantity than is natural or salutary: both these are points, however, on which we dare not insist with the same confidence that we do in regard to the nutritive qualities of the blood-to what is vulgarly called its richness and poorness. As plethora implies redundance, so the term anæmia signifies deficiency of blood-a state the reyerse of plethora: the veritable pathology, however, of these two conditions probably is, that in the one the blood is redundant in nutritive properties or ingredients; in the other, deficient in them. In a general way, most domesticated animals consume more food than is required, or is converted into nutriment; a circumstance that, considered in connexion with the customary mode in which horses at the present day are treated, renders a case of anæmia proceeding from lack of aliment of somewhat rare occurrence: such a condition, however, may and does occasionally proceed from torpid or defective action in the digestive, or absorbent, or assimilating powers of the system. I have witnessed a case of contracted cardia* of the stomach, in which the aperture was diminished to that degree, that the animal was reduced in flesh to the utmost extremity from inanition, and would have died from want of nutrition, had not an act of humanity put a premature end to his sufferings. Enlarged and scirrhous mesenteric glands arrest the absorption of chyle (at the same time that they are unfitted for the elaboration or conversion of that fluid), and thus produce similar effects on the system. Diarrhea, or continued purging, will be attended with anæmia, by carrying off the alimentary matters before time has been allowed for the completion of digestion.

ANEMIA MAY GIVE RISE TO DISEASE, either from the in

* The cardia is the orifice through which the food enters the stomach The case is reported in the Veterinarian, vol. i, p. 88.

sufficiency of the quantity of the blood for the purposes of the animal economy, or from the thinness or poorness of its quality. It is too prevailing a practice in the regimen of the stable to keep horses "short of water," under the impression that much fluid is injurious; a notion that probably originated in the very proper custom of giving water very sparingly at the time the animal is required to exert himself: hunters and racers are not allowed any, or but very little indeed, on the morning of the day they are to go to work. This, however, furnishes no good reason why the animal is to be debarred from quenching his thirst after his work is performed. The enforcement of the contrary opinion to this gave rise, in the course of my father's practice, to the following singular case*, which I shall relate in his own words.

* "About the beginning of October, 1810, I was requested to visit a black gelding, the property of Mr. Banks, of Deptford. This gentleman, who had possessed the horse but a few weeks, informed me that the animal had knocked up in two or three journeys, and that of late he had refused his food, though he appeared to have a vehement desire for water, which, I understood, had been allowed but in sparing quantities. The animal shewed some general signs of ill health: his coat was long, rough, and staring; his belly tucked up; and he perspired freely from moderate exercise. His principal malady, however, seemed to be of a pneumonic nature; to relieve which, the common remedies, such as bleeding, blisters, &c., were resorted to: at the same time, I recommended his having water-gruel to drink instead of plain water. On my next visit, the servant complained to me of the horse's extreme thirst, which he said was such that his whole time was taken up in making water-gruel;' and his master (probably at his instigation) wished me to take the animal under my immediate care (to Shooter's Hill), which I accordingly did on the 3d of November, by placing him at livery at the inn opposite my house. In the course of a day or two, the ostler discovered his appetite for drink, and represented to me that he consumed all the gruel he could make for him.' At this time, I must acknowledge my hopes of recovering my patient (from a malady of the nature of which I was confessedly ignorant) were declining; when, on visiting him as usual on the 5th, and finding that his inordinate desire for liquids had not, by very large potations of gruel been appeased, I resolved to ascertain, whether it was the gruel after which he craved, or whether he had really a preternatural thirst. Now, it was about eight o'clock, A.M., and he had already taken his usual allowance of gruel, when I ordered the man to fetch him a pail of water; this he ravenously drank, another as greedily, a

6

VITIATION OF THE SYSTEM.

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I have heard Professor Coleman observe, in his lectures, that mange is often the result of poverty of condition in horses; an observation my own experience has tended to confirm. During the campaign in the Peninsula, I found mange very prevalent among the mules employed in the service, and especially such as were much reduced from want of better keep. And among our own horses, and even such as are well kept, mange is frequently seen combined with an unthriving state of body.

VITIATION OF THE SYSTEM.

We have seen that plethora, or richness of blood, is a condition premonitory of disease; we have found that even anamia, third was swallowed with equal avidity, a fourth quickly disappeared, and a fifth followed. About a quarter before one o'clock I repeated my visit; and having found my patient by no means uneasy from the twenty gallons of water (the pail having been measured) he had already ingurgitated, I was willing to see if he had any inclination to renew his potations. Accordingly, another pail of water was offered to him; having drank which, apparently with undiminished avidity, he looked round in my face with eagerness for a second; this was followed by a third, a fourth, and a fifth in fact, between eight A.M. and one P.M. he swallowed the prodigious quantity of thirtyeight gallons and one quart! Having, at length, quenched a thirst which I, at one time, almost began to despair of doing, no more water was given to him during that day, and medicine was altogether discontinued. This enormous ingurgitation, as was anticipated, was speedily followed by profuse discharges of urine; and in this way the bulk of the fluid appeared to have been disposed of; for no diarrhoea ensued, nor was there any consequent sensible perspiration.

"From this time I may date the recovery of my patient. His appetite, before defective and declining, improved daily; his desire for water, though still remarkable, was not to be compared to what it had been; for, from the 5th to the 13th of November he drank, on an average, not more than eighteen gallons per diem; his coat, before rough and staring, grew fine and sleek; in fine, he became rapidly convalescent, recovered his condition and spirits, and was, in a few weeks, sent home and put to work again.

"After an elapse of three weeks or a month, I met with him again, in harness; in the course of which interval, he had so much improved in condition and appearance altogether, that I could hardly recognize him as the same ill-conditioned, debilitated, hopeless animal I had been treating so little time ago. Mr. Banks told me that he was still addicted to tippling,' but not to any considerable amount."-Vide Lectures, vol. ii, p. 530.