DISEASES OF THE HEART AND BLOOD-VESSELS. 87 



tissues; and therefore it causes increased heat (which may be confined 

 to the parts inflamed, or may be constitutional, as inflammation of the 

 lungs, bowels, etc.). 



DISEASE OF THE HEART. 



Diseases of the heart among cattle are not very common, but they 

 are by no means unknown, which is proved not so much by meeting 

 with cases in practice as it is by post-mortem examinations. In this 

 <-lass of animals the detection of heart disease is attended with much 

 difficulty. In man the heart is more superficially situated; the natural 

 sounds may be heard distinctly, and any deviation from them is easily 

 recognized; but in cattle- the heart is enveloped by large lungs, large 

 flat ribs, thick muscles, more or less fat, and thick skin covered with 

 hair, which are obstacles in the way of detecting the variations of the 

 sounds not to be overcome. However, the writer will endeavor to place 

 before the reader all the important information bearing upon the sub- 

 j< ( -t. collected from the best sources, as well as from practical expe- 

 rience. 



Extensive heart disease may exist in a cow without any alarming 

 symptoms being manifested. This is due to the fact that cows are not 

 put to severe exertion. Affections, as will be pointed out hereafter, 

 may pass unnoticed until after death, when an examination of the heart 

 will discover a disease of such extraordinary character as to create the 

 wonder how the animal lived without showing signs of serious ailment. 



The symptoms of the particular. heart affections are in most cases so 

 obx'iire that it is difficult to lay before the general reader signs which 

 may be tinned diagnostic. Therefore in a work of this kind it is not 

 out of place to give a summary of those symptoms which usually ac- 

 company diseases of the heart, so that when one or more of them are 

 presented a more careful examination may be made for heart trouble. 

 The following symptoms have been noticed in numerous cases of the 

 iliti'rj-ent affections of this organ: Megrims or vertigo; dropsical swell- 

 ing of the legs; swelling under the jaw and on the neck and brisket; 

 isteut palpitation of the heart; constant jugular pulse; fluttering 

 of the heart; irregular, soft, and weak pulse, or strong and hard pulse; 

 inability to undergo exertion; disinclination to move, and grunting 

 when compiled to move; faintm >s: quickened breathing; irregular 

 spa.sms of the muscles of the neck, breast, or legs. 



HEART 8OUND8. 



Corresponding with the beats of the heart two sounds are emitted, 

 which in a state of health are uniform and characteristic. The lirst is 

 longer and duller than the second, which is short and sharp, and is 

 likened to the sound produced when two pieces of ribbon are snapped 

 together. The interval between the two is very short, the sound of 

 the first almost seems to be continued into the second. After the 



