ASCITES, ' 425 



thorax. Now and then it will supervene upon one of those 

 anasarcous attacks — swelled legs, &c., to which young horses 

 are so prone during spring and fall. At other times it 

 supervenes upon a thoracic attack (the accompaniment or 

 not of "influenza''), perhaps even weeks after, the horse 

 has been discharged and deemed to be " cured.'^ It may- 

 arise from disease of some of the viscera, the peritoneum 

 being connected with almost all of them ; or it may have its 

 origin in the venous circulation, which in the abdomen is 

 free but weak, and naturally unobstructed; hepatic dis- 

 ease may induce it : diarrhoea will have such an effect 

 in the end ; disease of the kidneys, &c. Now and then, 

 after death we meet with the disease where no symptoms 

 preceded to indicate it, and where its presence was least 

 suspected, in a passive form, and as such gives perhaps no 

 other indication of its existence than towards the end some 

 filling of the legs. Disease of some of the abdominal 

 viscera, the intestines especially, will now and then exist, 

 and puzzle us to find out what is amiss with the horse 

 until the very last, when the peritoneum sympathising with 

 the diseased irritation going on, takes on increased action, the 

 result of which is effusion in the form of ascites, when en- 

 teritic symptoms supervene, in which the animal dies. Now 

 and then it happens, in the mare, that one or both ovaries 

 are the seat of disease, and ascites follows ; but then, in this 

 case, the dropsy becomes e7icysted, I have already shown 

 its connexion with peritonitis : a case in which the symp- 

 toms will partake more of the colic or enteritic character 

 than in such as we may denominate cases of pure dropsy. 



Ascites proves consecutive of Pleurisy. One serous 

 texture after another becomes a prey to the spreading in- 

 flammatory diathesis; and while in one place it runs so high 

 that lymph and pus are produced, in another; secondarily, 

 and more mildly affected, the inflammatory action expends 

 itself in the effusion of Avater. In one case, the cellular 

 tissue — the external serous tissues — are especially affected; 

 in another, the inflamm.ation attacks most violently the 

 serous membi'anes or internal tissues ; while, in a third in- 



