Veterinary medicines : their actions and uses / by Finlay Dun.

Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Veterinary medicines : their actions and uses / by Finlay Dun. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Pa!se 38, and weak; the respirations not easily counted, but probably about 9 ; in other respects no change. The animal passed feces and urine freely ; and shortly after getting a pint of cold water, lay down somewhat relieved, with the retching scarcely so frequent. At 2.30, the pulse was weaker than ever; the breathing irregular, interrupted and sighing ; and the animal unable to rise. The labial and nasal muscles were contracted, causing retraction ot the lips, and disclosing the gums blanched, and the teeth covered with frothy mucus. Two bottles of strong ale were given with half an ounce of spirit of ammonia. At 3 p.m., the pulse was 35, and still weaker than before; the re- spiration was somewhat accelerated, probably owing to the animal’s being down; the perspiration continued to stream from every part; and the retching, though somewhat subsided, still came on about every ten minutes. The animal remained down without much change until about C, when the nausea was somewhat diminished, but the pulse so weak as to be scarcely perceptible. He was raised with difficulty, and stood blowing much for fifteen minutes. At 7 there was little change; the pulse remained imperceptible; the respirations about 20; and the patient unable to eat or drink. He was left with the expec- tation of finding him dead next morning; but at 7 a.m. (25th), he was up and eating. His pulse was Go ; his respirations 10 ; and his appearance very hag- gard and reduced. October 1st.—Since last date he has never regained his former look or appetite; for two days has been unable to rise or stand ; and has become much wasted. He was destroyed by six drachms of prussic acid ; but, on post mortem examination, every part except the lungs seemed quite healthy. These organs, more especially the right one, were extensively studded with patches of extravasated blood about the size of walnuts, which in those parts connected with the pulmonary tissue were more or less softened, and emitted an odour characteristic of heated decomposed blood. The rusty fluid produced from the softening had in various places passed into the broncliii, imparting to their frothy mucous a brown colour. Among carnivorous animals a violent and speedy effect is readily produced by aconite, as is well shown in the two follow- ing experiments made at the Veterinary College in October 1852. A cat of average size got Tilvii. of Fleming’s tincture of aconite. In two minutes severe retching came on, and in five minutes painful vomiting and involuntary muscular contractions of a most active kind, with perverted action of the voluntary muscles, causing the animal to leap up the wall and turn somer- saults backwards. The vomiting and muscular action continued till within two or three minutes of death, which took plaoe twenty minutes after the administration of the poison. No morbid or peculiar post mortem appearances were observable. An ordinary sized Scotch terrier got 5ss. of Fleming’s tincture.