230 CHAPTER 23. 



BROKEN WIND. 



465. Symptoms and seat of Broken Wind. 



Broken Wind is indicated by a short weak hacking pretty constant 

 cough, by a very peculiar double action of the flanks, and by a prolonged 

 effort of the abdominal muscles in the act of expiration, by a difficulty 

 in performing the operations of respiration, by a craving after food, by 

 flatulence and a pendulous belly. A mucous rale, caused by an increased 

 secretion from the bronchial tubes, may often be heard, if the ear be 

 applied in front of the chest. 



466. Causes. 



Horses with narrow chests and protuberant bellies, if also gross 

 feeders, are specially subject to this affection. Sometimes it gradually 

 steals on a horse, commencing with chronic cough ; whilst at other times 

 it comes on suddenly, perhaps after a hard gallop, when the horse was 

 not fit for it ; and sometimes it occurs without any obvious cause. 



Broken Wind is found occasionally, though but very rarely, as a sequel 

 of pneumonia and other diseases of the respiratory organs. It more 

 frequently follows on Chronic cough and Chronic indigestion, accom- 

 panied by excessive distension of the stomach. In both cases, however, 

 we believe that an impaired condition of the nerves supplying the lungs 

 and air cells is the immediate cause of the affection. 



In the one case want of tone of the nervous power in the lungs is 

 simply an after-effect of inflammation in the cellular tissue ; whilst in 

 the other it is probably due to the intimate sympathy which exists be- 

 tween the nerves of the digestive organs and those of the lungs. 



As regards the effect of inflammatory action on the cellular structure 

 it is probably not necessary to enter into any detail ; but the second 

 named cause will need some explanation. 



Excessive distension of the stomach and bowels ordinarily arises from 

 the use of either innutritions or of bad forage. In the one case the 

 animal in his endeavour to obtain sufficient nourishment consumes an 

 excessive amount of bulky food. In the other the distension is caused 

 by the generation of gases in the stomach, such as are readily produced 

 by the use of musty or mildewed hay, by damp or sprouting oats, or 

 stale green forage. Indigestion may also arise from bad management, 

 such as working a horse on a full stomach or with his belly full of water. 

 Greedy feeders and horses with a depraved appetite are also specially 

 liable to suffer from indigestion. 



When from these or such like causes the nerves of the stomach get 

 out of order, their communications and extensions, which ramify through 

 the cellular structure of the lungs, are also liable to become deranged 

 and in some cases paralysed. From such derangement of the nervous 

 power the coats of the air cells are no longer able to contract upon, and 

 expel the air, which at each inspiration enters the cells as usual. Hence 



