198 MANUAL OF EQUINE MEDICINE. 



The disease, when severe, is usually ushered in -with con- 

 siderable fever. The pulse is short, hard, irritable, and 

 accelerated, and the heart's action is often irregular. Some- 

 times the pulse is bounding and violent ; sometimes, when 

 there is much effusion, it is feeble and fluttering. The respi- 

 rations are accelerated ; the extremities are cold ; cough is 

 often present, and there is pain, especially during movement. 

 In less severe cases there is less constitutional disturbance, 

 and correspondingly less pathological change. 



Debility is sometimes very marked. 



Associated with the pericarditis, spasms of the superficial 

 muscles have often been observed. These spasms or cramps 

 are in most instances confined to the muscles of the pectoral 

 region and neck, but occasionally, also, the posterior ex- 

 tremities are affected. 



The friction characteristic of pericarditis in man is not 

 always detected in the horse. When heard, it is a rasping, 

 grating to-and-fro sound, synchronous with the cardiac 

 action. 



If this sound be associated with a deeper seated murmur 

 in the heart, endocarditis is also present. When the efi'u- 

 sion supervenes the friction disappears, and is replaced by a 

 dull churning noise of the heart movements. If the effusion 

 be considerable, the pulse becomes feeble, fluttering, and 

 irregular. There may also be visible carotid and jugular 

 pulsation, with great distress in the breathing, and oedema 

 may appear in various parts. 



In influenza, pericarditis is a somewhat frequent complica- 

 tion. 



The symptoms in this form of pericardial inflammation 

 vary much, being sometimes well marked and sometimes 

 very indistinct. They are best marked in cases where the 

 lungs and pleura are free from disease. 



Prognosis. — Pericarditis may terminate in partial recovery 



