Convulsive cough with visible lesions—without. Excitants, cold air, or
water, rough or dusty food, irritant agents inhaled or swallowed.
Treatment, hygienic, nerve sedative, expectorant, tonics, Muriate of
ammonia, Sulphur dioxide, silver solution, ferric chloride, alum,
derivatives, elimination, aromatic, dietetic.
The chronic or paroxysmal cough may often be traced to the presence of
tumor, ulcer, local inflammation, or parasite, but in some instances no
local trouble is recognizable, the general health remains good, and yet
the throat is abnormally sensitive and a cough or fit of coughing may be
roused by passing into the cold air from a warm stable, by cold water in
drinking, by inhaling irritant gas, by the passage of rough or fibrous
food, or by handling the larnyx. There is undoubtedly a hyperæsthesia of
the larnyx and the horse and dog as being more exposed to severe demands
on the physical and nervous systems are especially liable to suffer.
_Treatment_ must be adapted to the conditions. Over-work, damp unhealthy
buildings, and all appreciable health depressing causes must be
corrected, and a course of iron and nux vomica may be tried. Borax,
bromide of potassium, and extract of hyoscyamus, made into an electuary
with molasses or honey may be smeared upon the molars four or five times
a day. In obstinate cases the inhalation of the fumes of burning
salammoniac or sulphur, or the direct application to the larnyx of
dilute solutions of silver nitrate, ferric chloride, or alum may
benefit. The throat may be blistered by cantharides or mustard. Care
should be taken to keep the functions of bowels and kidneys normally
active, to protect the patient against cold and damp, and to give
nutritive but non-stimulating and easily digested food, as for the
horse, bran mashes, roots, grass or scalded hay, and for the dog pulped
flesh, soup and mush. Sometimes benefit can be obtained from the
vegetable aromatics and stimulants as eucalyptol, tar, turpentine,
balsams of Tolu and Peru, tincture of anise, fennel, etc.