XXVIII.— CHRONIC PLEURISY IN THE HORSE. 



Last week a six-year-old horse with chronic pleuris}- was received 

 into hospital, where, however, it onl}- remained a short time. It was 

 sent because during work its breathing soon became distressed, a slight 

 roaring sound being produced. The animal had just been bought. 

 The purchaser noticed an abnormal respiratory sound, but referred the 

 accelerated and oppressed breathing to broken wind. 



The student who brought this case before me had not recognised the 

 condition from which it was suffering from the usual rapid preliminary 

 examination. You saw how I arrived at the diagnosis. The animal ap- 

 peared bright and in good health, but breathed rapidly, with exaggerated 

 movements of the flank and chest ; there was complete dulness o\-er 

 more than one third of the lower part of the chest, and loss of the 

 v'esicular murmur over the whole of this region on either side ; more- 

 over towards the centre line of the chest a tubal sound could be 

 detected. These symptoms sufficient!}- indicated that the horse was 

 suffering from chronic pleuris}' or h}drothorax. Of these two expres- 

 sions, still used by mauN" as synon\mous, the first conve3S the idea of a 

 local disease, of inflammation of the serous membrane with pleural 

 exudate ; the second (h3-drothorax) suggests simply dropsy of the chest, 

 a non-inflammatory collection of fluid in the pleural sac produced b}- 

 mechanical or constitutional causes, b}- tumours, by some disease of 

 the lung, heart, or kidne}-, or by cachectic conditions. Now our patient 

 shows no disease of this character. Its general condition is good, and, 

 I repeat, at first sight appears perfectly compatible with health. We 

 are, therefore, not dealing with hydrothorax, but with chronic pleurisy. 

 The existence of roaring tends to confirm the inflammator}- origin of 

 the condition. It is, in fact, extreme!}- probable that the pleurisy and 

 roaring depend on one and the same cause, viz. a pre\-ious attack of 

 pneumonia. 



The principal symptoms noted on examining this animal were 

 recorded as follows : — " When placed in a box tlie patient appears 



