156 DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 



cative of the peculiar — double or broken — sort of respiration 

 that denotes broken-wind. So that, in fact, it may either 

 imply a symptom, or else be significant of the pathological 

 condition in which we commonly find the lungs of broken- 

 winded horses after death. 



The DISEASE ITSELF — for as disease we are bound to 

 consider it — is so self-evident, so palpable to demonstration, 

 that almost every person conversant with horses^ is able to 

 detect it ; and well enough knows, when it does exist, how 

 valueless the subject of it becomes compared to a sound - 

 winded horse. Notorious, however, as its existence is, yet 

 have the opinions concerning its seat and nature been, from 

 very early times up to the present, both numerous and dis- 

 cordant : indeed, no malady has given rise to such a variety 

 and conflict of opinion as the one before us. 



History. — I shall pass by, unnoticed, all the ancient part 

 of the history of broken-wind — seeing no other purpose its 

 introduction here could serve save that of curiosity — in 

 order to be able to come at once to the theories of its 

 nature in vogue among veterinarian pathologists of the 

 present day. For those prevailing on the continent, we 

 have the best authority in citing from Hurtrel D'Arboval: — 



Continental theories. — According to this writer, these 

 may be ranged under four heads : — 1st, Pulmonary In- 

 flammations; 2dly, Nervous Influence; 3dly, Lesion of 

 the Diaphragm ; 4th, Pulmonary Emphysema. 



Pulmonary inflammations, in their acute form, are not 

 to be regarded as forerunners of broken wind ; it is only 

 when they are chronic^ and are productive of certain morbid 

 alterations or disorganizations, that they can be so viewed. 

 Acute pneumonia, however intense, however extended, is 

 never known to terminate in broken- wind. Chronic bron- 

 chitis, accompanied with thickened membrane and mu- 



' The French veterinarians, Godine, Dupuy, Demoussy, Delafond, D'Arboval, 

 assert that sheep and oxen are subject to broken-wind ; and that in them it is 

 occasionally dependent on lesion of the heart. I cannot pretend to offer any 

 opinion on this point myself; but my friend, the late Mr. Youatt, has assured 

 me, he never saw nor heard of such a case. 



