202 THE DOG IN DISEASE. 



tions in the size, color, consistence, vascularity, etc., of 

 organs, for the purpose of being sure as to the actual dis- 

 ease a post-mortem examination must be made ; and while 

 one familiar with the normal appearances in a dead ani- 

 mal may know that such and such departures exist in any 

 given case, yet their exact interpretation is especially the 

 duty of the expert. 



It is plain that the sooner after death the autopsy is 

 made, especially in very warm or very cold weather, the 

 better the chance of learning the conditions as they ex- 

 isted during life, which is what is aimed at but not so 

 easily attained. The position of the animal at death and 

 since should be noted, as this will explain gravitation of 

 blood and other fluids, the neglect of which has led to 

 very erroneous conclusions. Naturally the veins contain 

 most of the blood after death, so that if the small arteries 

 or capillaries are full, inflammation, etc., is to be suspected. 

 The condition of the heart is very instructive. If full of 

 blood and distended, death must have taken place during 

 the relaxed phase {diastole) of the organ, and this is al- 

 ways so in cases of strangulation from any cause. 



When the heart is smaller, contracted, relatively pale, 

 death must have taken place during contraction {systole) 

 of the organ. Generally with the full heart the lungs are 

 engorged with blood also, and in fact the appearance of 

 every organ may be modified by the condition of the heart 

 as affecting its blood-supply at the moment of death. 



Bearing this in mind, all other departures from the 

 normal can only be estimated by experience in examining 

 the dog or some other animal (the more closely allied to it 

 the better) that has died from bleeding in the one case and 



