418 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



both may be simultaneously inflamed, the usual respiratory 

 murmur may be heard, and in addition a loud sound, as of leather 

 creaking and rubbing. This sound is due to the roughened 

 lining of the chest walls rubbing against the roughened lining 

 of the lungs themselves, and in healthy animals it is not heard, 

 for the moist, smooth, glistening membranes then glide noise- 

 lessly on one another, as air is taken in and given out from the 

 lungs. Anxiety and dejection are depicted on the countenance, 

 and the eyes are half shut. In cases of pleurisy, there is generally a 

 short, painful, hacking cough, which is restrained by the animal 

 as much as possible. The appetite is diminished or lost, and 

 rumination is not performed. The animal generally lies down 

 upon the sternum, so as to fix the chest-walls as much as 

 possible, and so reduce to a minimum the thoracic respirations. 

 When the animal is standing, the head droops, and the ears hang 

 downwards. When the pleurisy is a complication of rheumatism, 

 the pain in the chest is commonly more severe, and the tenderness 

 even more acute, owing to coincident pericarditis. 



In many cases of pleurisy the inflammation gradually subsides, 

 and the animal makes a recovery, though not rapidly. In other 

 cases the inflamed serous membranes pour out a quantity of 

 fluid which accumulates between the chest walls and the lungs. 

 This presence of water in the chest, which is termed pleuritic 

 effusion, is of great importance. As it comes on, the acute 

 symptoms of pleurisy abate, and the friction sounds cease then 

 to be heard, though, when the fluid is afterwards absorbed, they 

 may again become distinct. Respiration, when there is pleural 

 effusion, becomes less painful, and it is deeper than in the early 

 stage of pleurisy. Indeed, when effusion occurs, the animal 

 even manifests signs of improvement for a time ; but ere long 

 dropsy sets in, the legs, chest, and belly become swollen owing 

 to accumulation of fluid in the layers beneath the skin, the 

 breathing becomes laboured, the pulse, wiry and rapid at the 

 onset of the disease, becomes soft and frequent, and, as the 

 effusion increases, it becomes irregular, feeble, and even imper- 

 ceptible. The breathing becomes still more embarrassed now, 

 the inspiration is prolonged and it is jerky and irregular, and the 

 expiration act is performed with difficulty. If one listens to 

 the sides of the chest, one cannot hear the respiratory murmur 

 over the lower portions of the chest, owing to the presence of 



