Symptoms. 165 



Primary pleuritis usually begins with tlie non-character- 

 istic symptoms of a general disease. The sick animals grad- 

 ually lose their appetite, they become dull, their fur looks 

 bristly, they have attacks of chills, an anxious facial expression 

 and avoid every motion. The temperature is elevated from the 

 start. The chilliness ceases after a few hours, but with the 

 hand placed on the thorax one feels occasionally fil)rillary 

 trembling of the intercostal muscles (Trasbot). The number 

 of pulse beats is, as a rule, increased 50% and the pulse is 

 weak. Some horses show at this stage also slight symptoms 

 of colic and they give evidences of pain (cutting) in the chest 

 wall. In secondary pleuritis these symptoms are preceded by 

 those of the primary disease and they may be clouded, partially 

 or completely, by the sjanptoms of the primary affection. 



The respiration is markedly accelerated and superficial in 

 every case of pleuritis ; it is also usually of the abdominal type, 

 the patients hold their ribs as quiet as possible and use the 

 diaphragin in preference. Exceptionally, however, especially 

 in inflammation of that portion of the pleura which lies near 

 the upper surface of the diaphragm, breathing is of the costal 

 type. 



Palpation often shows an increased tenderness of the wall 

 of the thorax, the animals try to withdraw when pressure is 

 made upon the intercostal places, and they betray pain by cry- 

 ing out or groaning. The tender territory is usually behind 

 the elbow and extends a certain distance backward and up- 

 ward. On palpation, and better still, with the flat hand, one 

 sometimes feels a trembling of the thoracic w^all, which is syn- 

 chronous with respiration and indicates a roughness of the 

 involved portions of the pleura. 



Cough is not observed in all cases, and some, even severe 

 ones, may run their entire course without any cough. When 

 it is present, it is always weak and the animal tries to suppress 

 it. But it may easily be brought on artificially by percussion 

 of the thorax. 



The percussion sound is normal in the beginning if the 

 superficial portions of the lungs are not affected ; in large ani- 

 mals a certain amount of fluid exudate may collect in the lo^yer 

 portion of the thorax without changing the normal percussion 

 sound. Fibrinous membranes are almost never formed to such 

 an extent that they will materially dull it. 



The vesicular breathing is diminished owing to the slighter 

 lung movements ; occasionally also in consequence of the pres- 

 ence of thicker fibrinous membranes. Friction sounds are fre- 

 quently heard ; these are sometimes soft, sometimes grating or 

 crackling. They are rarely strong enough to be heard at a 

 distance, and are usually heard by the ear placed over the af- 

 fected area; in smaller animals it is often necessary to press 

 the stethoscope down firmly. The sounds occur synchronously 

 with the respiratory movement, and they are sometimes 



