DISEASES OF THE HOKSE. 239 



of the walls, and passive, or attenuated^ dilatation, where the walls are 

 simply distended or stretched out without any addition of substance. 



Causes. — Any cause producing constant and excessive exertion of 

 the heart may lead to dilatation. Valvular disease is the most frequent 

 cause. General anemia predisposes to it by producing relaxation of 

 muscular fiber. Changes in the muscular tissue of the heart Walls, 

 serous infiltration from pericarditis, myocarditis, fatty degeneration 

 and infiltration, and atrophy of the muscular fibers may all lead to 

 dilatation. 



Symptoms. — The movements of the heart are feeble and prolonged, 

 a disposition to staggering or vertigo, dropsy of the limbs, very pale 

 or very dark-colored membranes, and difficult breathing on the 

 slightest excitement. 



Treatment. — General tonics, rich food, and rest. 



FATTY DEGENERATION OF THE HEART. 



Fatty degeneration ma}' involve the whole organ, or ma}- be limited 

 to its walls, or even to circumscribed patches. The latter is situated 

 at the exterior, and gives it a mottled appearance. When generally 

 involved it is flabby or flaccid, and in extreme cases collapses when 

 emptied or cut. Upon dissection the interior of the ventricles is 

 observed to be covered with buff-colored spots of a singular zigzag 

 form. This appearance may be noticed beneath the pericardium, and 

 pervading the whole thickness of the ventricular walls, and in extreme 

 cases those of the fleshy columns in the interior of the heart. These 

 spots are found to be degenerated muscular fibers and colonies of oil 

 glol)ules. Fatty degeneration is often associated with other morbid 

 conditions of the heai-t, such as obesit}^, dilatation, rupture, aneurism, 

 etc. It ma}' be connected with fatty diseases of other organs, such as 

 the liver, kidneys, etc. When it exists alone its presence is seldom 

 suspected previous to death. It may be secondary to hypertrophy of 

 the heart, to myocarditis, or to pericarditis. It may be due to 

 deteriorated conditions of the blood in wasting diseases, excessive 

 hemorrhages, etc. , or to poisoning with arsenic and phosphorus. 



Siimptoms. — The most prominent symptoms of fatty degeneration 

 are a feeble action of the heart, a remarkably slow pulse, general 

 debility, and attacks of vertigo. It may exist for a long time, but is 

 apt to terminate suddenly in death upon the occurrence of other dis- 

 eases, surgical operations, etc. It may involve a liability to sudden 

 death from rupture of the ventricular walls. 



Treatment. — Confinement in feed to oats, wheat or rye bran, and 

 timothy hay. Twenty drops of sulphuric acid may be given in drink- 

 ing water three times a day, and hypophosphite of iron in 2-dram 

 doses, mixed with the feed, twice a day. Other tonics and stimulants 

 as they may be indicated. 



