DISEASE OF THE VALVES OF THE HEART. 205 



fibrinous clot, filling the right cavity of the heart; and 

 during life by the pulsations of the heart being unusually 

 strong, and by being connected with articular afi*ections of 

 the fore foot and scapulo-humeral joints, successively pro- 

 ducing consecutive lamenesses. M. Bouley, commenting on 

 this case, says that when an irritating fluid is injected into 

 the sac of the pericardium, through a puncture on the left 

 side between the cartilages of the 6th and 7th ribs, articular 

 pains manifest themselves in one or more limbs, while 

 inflammation is developing itself in the serous membrane 

 covering the heart ; and often these pains become so great 

 that the animal finds it impossible to perform locomotion. 



DISEASE OF THE VALVES OF THE HEART. 



Some remarkable instances of this disease stand on 

 record. It would appear that such disease may be com- 

 bined with endocarditis in one of its (chronic) stages, which 

 perhaps accounts for my having found this disease in con- 

 nection with rheumatic afi'ections of the joints ; at the same 

 time it may exist uncombined, sui generis, 



I had a troop-mare, who had previously suffered from 

 influenza, seized some weeks afterwards with a renewal of 

 illness obscure in its character ; nor was it until one dayj 

 watching her over the half-door of her box, meditating on 

 her case, that I observed very extraordinary pulsations, 

 much more than the ordinary regurgitations noticed, in both 

 her jugular veins, near their disappearance in the thorax, 

 causing not merely remarkable saltation of them, but 

 really some contortion of their canals.^ Entering the box, 

 and applying my hand to the left side, I found the heart 

 pulsating against — actually thumjnng — the ribs in a manner 

 I seemed to have no recollection of before, with, in the 

 intervals, a tumultuous sort of sound, destroying the rhythm 

 of the hearths actions. The respiration was disturbed, but only 

 at times J growiiig in the intervals tranquil and calm again. 



' If there is any symptom detectible, pathognomouic of this disease, it is 

 probably this. 



