102 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



hausted state; but very soon it would seem as if 

 nothing- had happened to it. Some of the cases 

 were not quite so severe as the above; they could 

 do a fair amount of slow work and light loads. 

 One day I was called to see a fine black horse, the 

 property of a brewer. The driver complained that 

 if the load was heavy or if the horse was driven 

 fast, it would stop, breathe fast, and seemed as if 

 it would choke. I examined the horse, and found 

 it was suffering from dilatation of the heart, and 

 informed the owner of the fact, and said if the 

 horse was made to pull a heavy load or be driven 

 fast it would likely drop and die. The horse ac- 

 cordingly was put to slow, light work, until one day 

 it had to take the place of another horse, and on go- 

 ing up a hill, when about half way up, it wanted to 

 stop, but the driver whipped it on, as he did not 

 want to stop on the middle of the hill, and before 

 he reached the top the animal fell suffocated and 

 died. I made an examination and found the left 

 side of the heart was greatly dilated. This dis- 

 ease may sometimes be mistaken for lung trouble. 

 In dilatation there is no cough, and when the ani- 

 mal is quiet it seems all right; but if the pulse is 

 examined it will be feeble, irregular, marked ven- 

 ous pulse, especially when the animal is moved. 

 The legs are usually cold, and there may be a tend- 

 ency to stock. As the disease advances the ani- 

 mal begins to lose flesh and the system generally 

 becomes deranged; and if the animal is not used 

 for work, it will gradually get worse, swell under 

 the belly and legs, and after a time die; but usually 



