144 DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 



CHAPTER XI. 

 DISEASES OF THE HEART. 



The heart is a hollow, muscular organ, situated in the cavity 

 of the chest, and divided into four compartments, known as the 

 auricles and the ventricles. In form, it resembles a blunt cone, 

 and has an average weight, in the horse of six and one-half 

 pounds. The heart is the centre of the circulation of the blood, 

 and like a force pump, it forces the blood to all parts of the body 

 through certain tubes or vessels called arteries; the blood returns 

 to the heart through another set of vessels called veins. The 

 arteries carry the pure blood, which contains nutritive principles, 

 to nourish and build up every living tissue; while the veins in 

 turn carry the blood which is impregnated with impurities of 

 the body back to the heart, thence it goes to the lungs to be puri- 

 fied again by coming in contact with the oxygen of the air. 



The heart is a vital organ and has an important work to per- 

 form, but the diseases of the same are rather difficult to recog- 

 nize. Not many of the diseases of the heart can be influenced 

 by treatment, so we will confine ouselves to but a very few of 

 the principal ones. 



THE PULSE. 



What is the pulse, and where can it be found? It is the beat- 

 ing of the arteries (tubes carrying blood from the heart), which 

 follow each contraction of the heart. The pulse tells you how 

 fast the heart is beating. The artery usually selected in the 

 horse for taking the pulse, is the one (submaxillary) that winds 

 around the lower jawbone. It can be readily felt with the fin- 



