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152 MANUAL OF EQUINE MEDICINE. 



Morbid Anatomy. — The pathological lesions found after 

 death from acute congestion of the lungs, are as charac- 

 teristic as the symptoms during life. 



The lungs are found to be of a dark purple hue, firm and 

 crepitant, and the vessels of the pulmonary tissue are 

 engorged with deoxidized blood of a tarry consistence. 

 Here and there darker spots may be seen, where extravasa- 

 tion has occurred into the parenchyma of the lung. The 

 appearance of the lungs resembles that of the spleen ; and 

 the term splenification, or splenization, has thus been given 

 to this congested condition of the pulmonary structures. 

 The organs are more condensed and heavy than normal, but 

 will generally float in water, thus differing from the condi- 

 tion which we shall shortly consider, termed hepatization, 

 the result of inflammation of the lungs. 



The lining membrane of the whole respiratory tract is 

 congested, especially in the bronchial tubes, and is covered 

 with frothy mucous secretion. 



Both sides of the heart are filled with darkly coloured, 

 thick, but not coagulated, blood. The right auricle and 

 ventricle, with the large vessels in connection with them, 

 are especially engorged. 



In cases of passive congestion, associated with other 

 diseases which have a fatal termination, the lungs are 

 found to be more crepitant, and not so dark in colour, 

 and there is a greater quantity of frothy mucus in the 

 air-tubes. 



Instances of death from acute congestion have not un- 

 frequently occurred within a few days of purchase of a 

 horse, and the lesions found after death have been ascribed 

 by the uninformed to long-standing disease of the lungs. 

 On some occasions the seller has, in consequence, been com- 

 pelled to pay full value of the animal. And yet these very 

 features, which were attributed to old-standing disease, are, 



