242 Veterinary Medicine. 



the chest is sometimes seen and if the intercostal muscles are 

 pressed upon, the animal winces and frequenth- grunts. This last 

 symptom is likewise seen in rheumatic disease of the intercostal 

 muscles (pleurodynia) but the absence of the fever, the cough, 

 and other chest symptoms sufficiently distinguish this. Ausculta- 

 tion detects in the early stages in addition to a healthy respiratory 

 murmur, a friction sound audible in inspiration only in short jerks 

 near the close of the act and comparable to the rubbing of the 

 palm of one hand over the other laid over the ear, but this is no 

 longer heard when effusion of liquid has taken place into the 

 pleurae. Percussion in the early stages detects no change from 

 the healthy chest resonance. 



If not relieved in from twenty- four to thirty-six hours, a re- 

 markable modification of the symptoms takes place indicating the 

 occurrence of effusion. The violent symptoms are suddenly re- 

 lieved. The quick catching breathing which is in many cases ac- 

 companied by a grunt, becomes easy and though fuller than 

 natural is comparatively regular. In particular the inspiration is 

 free and full and comparatively painless, the sudden check and 

 the grunt by which it was arrested having alike disappeared. 

 The tension of the abdominal muscles and the tucked up appear- 

 ance of the flanks give way ; the pulse acquires a softer character, 

 the haggard pinched countenance is relaxed, and a general ap- 

 pearance of comfort and even liveliness prevades the animal. This 

 temporary improvement is often so great that the horse will take 

 to feeding as if he had all at once recovered. 



The apparent recover}^ is, however, only transient. Soon the 

 pulse becomes more frequent and loses its fulness, the breathing 

 is more laborious and attended with a characteristic lifting of the 

 flanks and loins, the nostrils are widely dilated, the limbs out- 

 stretched and the elbows outturned, the eyes stare and project 

 and the countenance has a haggard appearance indicating threat- 

 ened suffocation. Partial sweats ma}^ break out on the surface, 

 due to the state of nervous excitement and general relaxation and 

 supplementing in some degree the impaired exhalation from the 

 lungs. Auscultation over the lower region of the chest shows a 

 complete absence of the respiratory murmur, rising to the same 

 level precisely at all points. Percussion elicits no resonance on 

 the same region. If the effusion has taken place slowly or existed 



