AND ANIMAL LIFE. 291 



they diminish or increase the communications 

 between two cavities, the heart will be predis- 

 posed to palpitation. 



CCCXVI. Vegetations, and all kinds of accre- 

 tions, may probably be looked upon as simply 

 lessening the cavity, and placing this in circum- 

 stances somewhat similar to the one whose ca- 

 pacity is diminished by a thickening of its mus- 

 cular pariet.es. 



CCCXVII. Inflammation of the heart is for- 

 tunately a rare disease. If well marked in its 

 symptoms, it often terminates in death, or occa- 

 sions chronic affections of the lungs or great 

 vessels. The peculiar feature in this disease is, 

 that the irritability of the heart is increased, and 

 is violently acted upon by the presence of blood 

 possessing, for a short time, its usual qualities. 

 The derangement of the circulation, and the 

 sufferings of the patient, promote the respiratory 

 function ; the blood becomes better arterialmed, 

 and this irritates still more the sensibility of the 

 inflamed organ. 



CCCXVIII. Ossification of the coronary ar- 

 teries hr,s not been included in the subdivision 

 of the first class, because I am rather inclined to 

 believe that its importance Iras been exaggerated. 

 Angina Pectoris, which it is said to occasion, has 

 too frequently been found to occur, in all its 

 severity, without the least trace of ossification, 

 to allow us to suppose that this condition of the 



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