PLEURODYNIA.
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.