_Definition._ An infectious inflammation, of the upper air passages and
bronchia, attended by high fever, special nervous irritability and a
protracted convalescence.
Dieckerhoff gave the name _scalma_ (rogue) to outbreaks in given stables
of an infection, showing the high temperature of brustseuche, (104° to
107° F.) a similar incubation (6 to 7 days), a correspondingly tardy
extension from animal to animal, and duration of the disease. The
apparent differences are in the absence of the profound dulness, the
yellowness of the mucosæ, and the yellow or rusty nasal discharge, in
the ready response to the voice or touch, the disposition to bite or
kick, the spasms of the larynx and sudden dyspnœa, in certain cases, and
the paroxysmal cough in others. Apart from these transient respiratory
troubles the pulse and breathing are unaffected, relatively to the
elevation of temperature. Sometimes the jaws are kept in constant
motion, from nervousness or pharyngeal trouble.
In the absence of any conclusive bacteriological investigation, it may
be surmised that this is a form of brustseuche which has not advanced to
the same grade of destruction of red globules and prostration of the
nerve centres, the latter showing only an excited and irritable
condition.
_Treatment_ and _prevention_ do not differ materially from what is
required in contagious pneumonia. The irritable cough may be soothed by
inhalations of warm water vapor, with alcohol, camphor, eucalyptol, or
opium, or electuaries of bromides, belladonna or stramonium, and local
derivatives to the throat.
Most cases are mild and recover in a week, the cough lasting for two
weeks more.