104 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



up to anything it is very much afraid of. There 

 are a number of other diseases of the heart which 

 are not well marked ; and it is only after death that 

 we discover the true nature of the disease. In some 

 forms of heart disease an animal may do a fair 

 amount of work and keep in good condition and 

 still die from heart trouble; but the majority be- 

 come unfit for hard work, and show some of the 

 general signs of heart disease, which are: Difficult 

 breathing on exertion, irregular beating of the 

 heart, cold extremities, loss of flesh, and toward the 

 end swelling of the legs and belly. The appetite 

 usually remains good until near the end. 



Injuries to the Arteries. — An accident of this 

 kind to the horse or cattle is rare; but it does hap- 

 pen that an artery is cut or otherwise injured, and 

 it is necessary to know how to remedy it. The walls 

 of arteries are elastic, and when cut completely 

 across will contract or be drawn into the tissue, 

 and in this way arrest bleeding; but if the artery is 

 pricked or only partially cut by contraction of its 

 elastic walls it will keep the cut open. When blood 

 is exposed to the air it clots and plugs up the 

 mouth of the artery; but if the artery is of any 

 size, the force of the blood through it will force out 

 any clot that may form. In this case the bleeding 

 can only be stopped by pressure or by ligature. If 

 the wound is deep and the artery cannot be easily 

 found, plug it with cotton batting dipped in linseed 

 oil eight parts, carbolic acid one part. Let this 

 remain in for twenty-four hours, then withdraw it. 

 Usually after the bleeding has been stopped for 



