Special Report on Diseases of the Horse | Page 8

the lungs, etc. Where the difficulty is great the accessory
muscles of respiration are brought into play. In great dyspnea the horse
stands with his front feet apart, with his neck straight out, and his head
extended upon his neck. The nostrils are widely dilated, the face has an
anxious expression, the eyeballs protrude, the up-and-down motion of
the larynx is aggravated, the amplitude of the movement of the chest
walls increased, and the flanks heave.
The expired air is of about the temperature of the body. It contains
considerable moisture, and it should come with equal force from each
nostril and should not have an unpleasant odor. If the stream of air from
one nostril is stronger than from the other, there is an indication of an

obstruction in a nasal chamber. If the air possesses a bad odor, it is
usually an indication of putrefaction of a tissue or secretion in some
part of the respiratory tract. A bad odor is found where there is necrosis
of the bone in the nasal passages or in chronic catarrh. An ulcerating
tumor of the nose or throat may cause the breath to have an offensive
odor. The most offensive breath occurs where there is necrosis, or
gangrene, of the lungs.
In some diseases there is a discharge from the nose. In order to
determine the significance of the discharge it should be examined
closely. One should ascertain whether it comes from one or both
nostrils. If but from one nostril, it probably originates in the head. The
color should be noted. A thin, watery discharge may be composed of
serum, and it occurs in the earlier stages of coryza, or nasal catarrh. An
opalescent, slightly tinted discharge is composed of mucus and
indicates a little more severe irritation. If the discharge is sticky and
puslike, a deeper difficulty or more advanced irritation is indicated. If
the discharge contains flakes and clumps of more or less dried,
agglutinated particles, it is probable that it originates within a cavity of
the head, as the sinuses or guttural pouches. The discharge of glanders
is of a peculiar sticky nature and adheres tenaciously to the wings of the
nostrils. The discharge of pneumonia is of a somewhat red or reddish
brown color and, on this account has been described as a prune-juice
discharge. The discharge may contain blood. If the blood appears as
clots or as streaks in the discharge, it probably originates at some point
in the upper part of the respiratory tract. If the blood is in the form of a
fine froth, it comes from the lungs.
In examining the interior of the nasal passage one should remember
that the normal color of the mucous membrane is a rosy pink and that
its surface is smooth. If ulcers, nodules, swellings, or tumors are found,
these indicate disease. The ulcer that is characteristic of glanders is
described fully in connection with the discussion of that disease.
Between the lower jaws there are several clusters of lymphatic glands.
These glands are so small and so soft that it is difficult to find them by
feeling through the skin, but when a suppurative disease exists in the

upper part of the respiratory tract these glands become swollen and
easy to feel. They may become soft and break down and discharge as
abscesses; this is seen constantly in strangles. On the other hand, they
may become indurated and hard from the proliferation of connective
tissue and attach themselves to the jawbone, to the tongue, or to the
skin. This is seen in chronic glanders. If the glands are swollen and
tender to pressure, it indicates that the disease causing the enlargement
is acute; if they are hard and insensitive, the disease causing the
enlargement is chronic.
The manner in which the horse coughs is of importance in diagnosis.
The cough is a forced expiration, following immediately upon a
forcible separation of the vocal cords. The purpose of the cough is to
remove some irritant substance from the respiratory passages, and it
occurs when irritant gases, such as smoke, ammonia, sulphur vapor, or
dust, have been inhaled. It occurs from inhalation of cold air if the
respiratory passages are sensitive from disease. In laryngitis, bronchitis,
and pneumonia, cough is very easily excited and occurs merely from
accumulation of mucus and inflammatory product upon the irritated
respiratory mucous membrane. If one wishes to determine the character
of the cough, it can easily be excited by pressing upon the larynx with
the thumb and finger. The larynx should be pressed from side to side
and the pressure removed the moment the horse commences to cough.
A painful cough occurs in pleurisy, also in laryngitis, bronchitis, and
bronchial pneumonia. Pain is shown by the effort the animal exerts to
repress the