DISEASES OF THE HEART AND BLOOD-VESSELS. 85 



traction of the ventricle pumps more blood into them, which distends 

 their elastic walls and sends a wave along them which gradually be- 

 comes less perceptible as it nears the very small arteries, and is lost 

 before the capillaries are reached. This wave constitutes the pulse. 

 The sensation or impression given to the finger when placed upon the 

 artery shows the force exerted by the heart and the condition of the 

 circulation. It must be remarked that it is only in the arteries that 

 there is a pulse wave. What is called the "jugular pulse" will be no- 

 ticed hereafter. The pulse varies much as to frequency ; anger, fear, 

 and exercise increase the number of pulsations. It is faster fn hot 

 weather than in cold ; in the young and old it is faster than in middle 

 age ; it is slower in the male than female. Fevers and inflammation in- 

 crease the frequency. In cattle the average number of pulsations in a 

 minute (in adults) is from 40 to 50. But in cows the pulse is subject to 

 variations from difteren treatises. In this regard Prof. Williams says: 



Indeed, the pulse of the cow iu a state of confinement, in so far as regards the num- 

 ber of beats, cannot be depended upon in the diagnosis of disease; the states of preg- 

 nancy and obesity, the effects of artificial food and of the activity of the lactiferous 

 glands, as well as the excitement caused by the act of rumination, generally produce 

 such an impression upon the nervous system as to cause the action of the heart to be 

 much increased, such increase being entirely consistent with a state of perfect health 

 in an animal so circumstanced. 



However, the frequency of the pulse is by no means all the informa- 

 tion gained by feeling the pulse. Other conditions of the pulse are: 

 Infrequent pulse, which means that the number of pulsations in a given 

 time is less than normal. The quick pulse means that the pulse wave 

 gives the sensation to the finger quicker than natural, and it must not 

 be confounded with the frequent pulse which refers to the number of 

 pulsations; thus the number of pulsations may be frequent while each 

 individual beat or pulsation may be quick or slow. The pulse is inter- 

 mittent when the pulsations do not follow in regular, order. For ex- 

 ample, the pulse may beat regularly for a number of beats, then a 

 longer pause between two beats occurs, then beat again regularly for 

 several beats, or in other words, as if a beat was left out at intervals. The 

 large pulse and the small pulse refer to the volume of the pulse, which 

 may be larger or smaller than usual. A pulse may be strong or feeble 

 and ut the same time may be either large or small. The strong pulse 

 and the feeble pulse refer to the strength or weakness of the pulsation. 

 It in called the hard pulse when the vessel feels hard and incompressi- 

 ble. The soft pulse is the reverse of the hard one. By dicrotic pulse 

 is mi'. tut that kind of pulsation which makes each beat seem double, 

 and therefore it is generally called the double pulse. 



The venous or "jugular pulse r is the pulsation so frequently observed 

 in the jugular vein of cattle. It is particularly noticeable while they 

 are ruminating "chewing the cud.'* It is not nhvays associated with 

 disease, but may be a symptom of some disease of the heart: in such 

 cases the jugular |ulse is continuous. 



