Definition. Symptoms, stiffness, pointing of fore limb, catching
inspiration, tender intercostals, less fever, cough, and hardness of
pulse than in pleurisy, no friction sound nor signs of pleuritic
effusion. Treatment, antirheumatic, derivatives, colchicum, alkalies,
salicylate, salol, phenacetin, warm (steam) bath, warm building and
clothing.
_Definition._ Rheumatism of the intercostal muscles. This has been
occasionally observed in the horse, and is liable to be mistaken for
pleurisy, which it closely resembles in its symptoms. There are the same
stiffness of the fore limb on the affected side, the same short
breathing, the same fixed and inactive appearance of the ribs, and the
same extreme tenderness on pressure as in pleurisy; but the high type of
fever, the cough and the full hard and accelerated pulse are usually
absent; the tenderness tends to shift from one point to another, there
is no shivering nor friction sound in the early stages, and no
subsequent absence of sound and deadness on percussion over the lower
part of the chest as result from effusion. When associated with fever it
is very difficult to distinguish from pleurisy, and its recognition can
only be made by these physical signs just mentioned.
_Treatment._ This must be the same as in rheumatic attacks in general.
Rub the chest actively and repeatedly with a mixture of equal parts of
spirits of turpentine, laudanum and olive oil, give ½ drachm doses of
powdered colchicum daily and bicarbonate of potass freely in the water
drank. Or give four times a day 2 drachms of salicylate of soda, or 1
drachm of salol, or phenacetin. A warm building and warm clothing are
essential elements in treatment.