Influenza

INFLUENZA. Under the names Epizootic, Contagious Catantal-fever, Contagious Influ enza, Pink-eye, etc., this disease has been known to veterinarians, and since the year 1872, gener ally to the horsemen of the United States and Canada. Its immediate cause is entirely un known, but that it is produced by blood poison ing through germs floating in the air is now gen erally received as true . The first symptoms are general weakness, staggering gait, hanging head, trembling limbs, shivering, watery discharge from the nose, staring hair, and loss of appetite. The pulse is weak but quick, from fifty to sixty per minute, and from that up to eighty or ninety. The breathing is hurried, from forty to fifty in spirations a minute, and the temperature of the body over 100° even to 105°. The horse seems to be afraid to lie down, and so stands with propped legs, the bowels are bound up, and the urine scanty; the discharge from the nose be comes white, yellow or greenish, and death.

.ensues from weakness and exhaustion, or from suffocation, paralysis, or from clots formed in the heart. Under the microscope the disease germs assume various forms. The figure shows some of them magnified 400 diameters. The treatment consists in good nursing, keeping the strength of the animal up by light, nutritious diet, and gruels, and in combating the symptoms as they appear under the many complications which this disease assumes. Dr.James Law, of Co: ne'l University, in an elaborate monogram upcn the disease, to the United States Govern ment, gives the treatment to be followed, in various phases of the disease, even to the injec tion of pure blood into the veins of weakened animals. From it we excerpt that which will be of value to the farmer, in the treatment of the disease as it appears in nialignant forms. All -debilitating or depressing treatment must be sedulously avoided. Bleeding, purging, severe action on the kidneys, depressing sedatives and violent blistering, are alike to be deprecated. In the regular and uncomplicated form of the disease, nearly all will recover under good nursing and fresh air, and independently of all medicinal agents. Place the patient in a cool, dry, well-ventilated, and well-littered box; clothe him comfortably, so as to avoid all ten dency to chill, bandage his legs loosely, and change the clothes, and curry or brush the skin twice or thrice a day; keep quiet and still, although usually a little exercise in hand, in the shelter and sunshine, will be rather beneficial than otherwise. Feed on bran mashes, boiled oats or barley, turnips, carrots, or other roots, in small quantities, and often, so as not to clog the appetite, and supply at frequent intervals a quart or two of water, nearly cold, or cold oat meal, or linseed gruel. It is important to favor depuration of the blood by moderate but never excessive action of the kidneys or bowels. Cos tiveness will oftentimes be best met by abundant and frequent injections of water, blood warm, (three or four quarts at a time,) or by one-half pound of molasses, or three ounces of sulphate of soda added to the drink. If a laxative is absolutely necessary, it should rarely exceed one-third of the ordinary dose, on account of the dangerous susceptibility of the digestive organs. The author has seen a large Percheron die of superpurgation, after taking but three draohms of Cape aloes. During the recent visitation an instance came under his notice in which half a pint of linseed oil came nigh proving fatal. This susceptibility of the digestive organs, how ever, varies widely in different epizootics, and in some mild laxatives prove beneficial, yet their possible danger should be kept in mind Mild febrifuge diuretics may be used with advantage. Spirits of nitrous ether, in half-ounce doses, may be given twice a day, or liquor of the acetate of ammonia, in ounce doses, four times a day in the water gruel drank. If the fever runs high, or effusions threaten to take place, these may be increased as far as the strength will allow, but always with the greatest caution and judgment. When the cough proves especially violent and painful, the addition of anodynes, such as bella donna and camphor, is advisable. A drachm of each may be added to the diuretics already advised. The cough may be further relieved, and the relaxation of the mucous membranes and the appearance of the discharge hastened, by causing the animal to inhale warm water vapor several times a day, for an hour at a time. This is most con venien tly done by saturating chaff bran or other simple agent with boiling water, placing it in a nose-bag, which is then hung on the patient's nose by means of a strap crossing behind the ears. This proves especially beneficial, as the modera tion of the fever is usually a concomitant of the appearance of the discharge. Burning a pinch of flowers of sulphur, more or less, according to the size and nature of the building, so as to impregnate the air to an extent just short of causing irritation and coughing, has a very soothing and beneficial effect on the mucous membrane. It is best done by laying a piece of paper bearing the sulphur on a shovel, and setting fire to it. It is superfluous, perhaps, to say that it must be done behind the patient, and not beneath his nose The fumes of vinegar from a red-hot brick, of burning leather, and the like, are cruelly irritating, and occasion ally induce fatal results. Counter-irritants are often useful from the first. If, however. inflam mation and sore throat seem extreme, a poultice may be advantageously applied for a day pre viously, or the throat may be well fomented with warm water for an hour and then wrapped in a sheep skin with the wool turned inward. When, however, there appears little danger of even tem porarily aggravating the local inflammation, the throat or chest, where the disease has been local ized, it may be well rubbed with a thin pulp made of the best ground mustard and tepid water, and then covered up. This may be replaced by the soap liniment, made with six ounces of soap, three of camphor, and a pint, each, of proof spirit, liquor ammonia, and linseed oil. This liniment may be applied repeatedly at short inter vals and well rubbed in. If a more active blister is wanted an ointment may be used composed of a drachm and a half of powdered eantharides, a scruple of camphor, ten drops of spirits of wine, and an ounce of lard. The hair should be cut off and the ointment well rubbed in, in a direc tion contrary to that of the hair. After it has acted, the skin should be kept soft and pliant by rubbing it with fresh lard. Oil of turpentine, which ,has been largely used as a counter-irritant in a great number of cases, is only objectionable on the ground of its causing so much local irrita tion without blistering as to drive some excitable horses to distraction. In using any one of these counter-irritants it is best to apply them over a limited space only, not exceeding the bounds of the inflammatory action, as we can thus secure the best results from the intimate nervous sym pathy existing between the deeper-seated organ and the skin which covers the corresponding part of the surface, and at the same time avoid the depressing and debilitating effects of a blister. For this reason a careful exarnination, of the chest especially, should always be made before making such au application. As the mouth becomes cooler and more moist, and the pulse softer and less frequent, ft more stimulating treatment is desirable. At first two drachms each of gentian, powdered cinchona, nitre and sal ammoniac, may be given night and morning, or if the debility is very great the last-named agent may be replaced by four drachms of carbonate of ammonia made into a bolus, with linseed meal, or dissolved in a half pint of water, and repeated three or four times a day. In cases marked by a daily remis sion, I have found a dose of thirty grains of sul phate of quinia to prove effectual in preventing the paroxysm, if given an hour or two before the period when it was in the habit of appearing. During convalescence gentian, cinchona, and -other tonics, are desirahle, with alcoholic, ammoni acal, or other stimulants, if there is much debility or prostration. The diet should be tempting and nutritious, supplied often, fresh and frequently varied, and care should be taken at all times to counteract any sudden suppre.ssion of the secre

tions of the bowels or kidneys, or even the nasal discharge In this connection may be mentioned the statement of Mr. 1VIurray, of Detroit, that all the eases of dropsy that came under his notice occurred in animals which had taken for a few days condition powders, consisting largely of sul phate of iron, and had had the nasal discharge sud denly dried up. Improvement followed promptly on the withholding of the powders and soliciting the action of the kidneys and bowels. Should the prostration become extreme, stimulants must be resorted to even more frequently than is recom mended a.bove; five, or even six times. a day. In some instances, however, the system seems to lose all power of reaction, and almost the only remaining hope lies in the transfusion of blood from the veins of a healthy animal to those of the sick. The blood may be obtained from a healthy horse, or more conveniently from oxen or sheep intended for slaughter. It may be transferred through an elastic tube without exposure to the air, or it may be drawn off into a vessel and thence transferred to the veins of the sick horse, unchanged or defibrinated, remembering, that the main dangers to be guarded against are the entrance of air into the circulation, the introduc tion of clots of fibrin, which by blocking the vessels, would produce local inflammation and abscess, and the too rapid transfusion which leads to vertigo and fatal fainting. If the abdominal -organs are especially involved, the counter irritant is to be applied over the region of the liver, bowels, or kidneys, as the case may de mand. With yellow or brownish appearance of the mucous membranes and tenderness over the short ribs, this point should be selected for its application. With general tenderness of the abdomen, colicky pains, frequent straining', and the passage of a white, thick mucus forming a pellicle over the dung, or collected in masses, it should be applied generally to the surface of the belly. If there is tenderness and swelling of the loins, stiffness of the hind limbs, frequent strain ing, the passage of water in small quantities and highly colored, and above all if the urine con tains microscopic fibrinous casts, it should be applied over the loins. In the last ease it may be preceded by a bag of hot, scalded bran, or a fresh sheep-skin with the fleshy side turned in. The shivering, which usually attends the onset of such complications, may be counteracted by friction to the skin, clothing, a warm drink con taining a stimulant—four drachms carbonate of ammonia—and injections of warm water or well boiled gruel, given to the extent of three or four quarts at a time, and repeated every hour until shivering ceases. In cases affecting the liver or bowels, I have found excellent results from guarded laxatives. Two, three, or even four drachms of aloes in different eases, with a drachm of gentian, aud thirty drops of hydrocyanic acid, or an ounce of laudanum. will usually promptly relieve the colic, secure an action of the bowels, and remove the deadly prostration which charac terizes this type. It has manifestly the effect of relieving the inflamed surface by a free secretion from its tu-rgid blood-vessels, of benefiting the portal system and liver by a direct local deple tion, and of eliminating poisonous material, which was being pent up to the great injury of the system at large. Little more is wanted than the free use of demulcents, such as slippery elm, well-boiled linseed, and the like, great care to secure a continuous moderate action of the bowels, and a tonic treatment as in other cases of convalescence. Turpentine has been strongly recommended by some, and acts beneficially as a local and general stimulant. An ounce of the crude drug, or half an ounce of the oil, may be made into a ball with linseed meal, or beaten up with the yolks of two eggs, and given twice daily. The affection of the kidneys may demand gentle laxatives, (oleaginous,) anodynes, (lauda num, ) emollient injections, counter-irritants, stim ulants, and later gentle diuretics. The nervous symptoms will sometimes demand the application of cold wet cloths to the head, counter-irritants to the sides of the neck and limbs, the guarded use of laxatives and diuretics, with drachm doses of bromide of potassium, and if there is great depression, ammoniacal stimulants. The rheum atic complication is to be met like ordinary rheumatism. Liquor of the acetate of ammonia two ounces, and colchicum wine, one ounce, may be given twide a day, diluted in water ; tonics, warm clothing, the frequent application of a hot smoothing iron over the affected part of the body, with the intervention of a thin cover, and even counter-irritants are among the agents especially demanded. When the heart is implicated in rheumatic cases, the same treatment is necest.ary, but the blisters are to be applied behind the left elbow. When there is reason to suspect the existence of clots in the heart, alkaline remedies are recommended, particularly the preparations of ammonia and iodide of potassium, attention being meanwhile given to support theSystem by tonics and stimulants, and to encourage the elimination of deleterious products front the blood. If dropsical manifestations appear, they must be treated according to their apparent causes; if disordered function of the heart or kidneys, these must be met by appropriate meas ures; and if, from weakness of the circulation, an aimmic or debilitated state of the blood and imperfect nutrition, gentle action of the eliminat ing organs, with stimulants, tonics, a nourishing diet, (embracing, in some cases, strong beef soup or tea,) or even transfusion of blood, will be necessary. Purpura luemorrhagica is to be met by similar supporting and eliminating treatment, with the addition of oil of turpentine in half ounce doses, or pure carbolic acid in drachm doses, and cinchona in half ounce doses, repeated thrice a day. The skin over the eugorgements should be rubbed frequently with a solution of carbolic acid, containing one part of the acid to every hundred of water, and a similar lotion should be applied frequently to the sores when these form. In short, the various complications and sequel of simple influenza are to be treated like similar lesions occurring independently of this affection, but with due regard to the great debility attending this disease. The great major ity of cases will recover without any treatment; and indeed many require no medical treatment, but a certain number will demand the greatest care of the educated medical attendant. Upon prevention, Dr. Law adds: 1VIany havd attempted to ward off the disease by the use of tobacco, camphor, vinegar, tar, assafcetida, etc.,and others more rationally, by bromo-chloralum, carbolic acid, permanganate of potash, sulphurous acid, and the hyposulphites, but in no case with permanent success. With a contagium like that at present under consideration, so easily diffused through the atmosphere, absolute prevention will always be difficult, though not necessarily impossible. With a disease, too, the tendency of which is almost invariably to a favorable termination, it is scarcely politic to shut up an animal for a month in a disinfected atmosphere, until the disease has subsided, with the probability before us that he would still contract the disease from the rem nants of the poison when exposed at the end of this period. Thorough cleanliness and disinfec tants are to be highly commended, not with the view of absolutely preventing the disease, but rather with intent to retard and moderate it. The comparatively non-volatile disinfectants, such as permanganate of potash. chloride of lime, bromo-chloralum, and carbolic acid, may be used for the solid structures of the stable, drains, manure, and the like, while sulphurous acid is above all to be commended for disinfection of the air. This agent, when used frequently and in small amount, so as to be non-irritating, has the double advantage of soothing. and giving tone to the diseased mucous membrane, and of destroy ing organic gertns, including perhaps the mor bific elements in the respiratory organs.