76 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



PALPITATION. 



When the impulse of the heart is excessive — that is, when it beats 

 more or less tumultiiously — the familiar expression "palpitation of the 

 heart " is applied ; and by many it is called " thumps."' The hand or 

 ear placed against the chest easily detects the unnatural beating. In 

 some cases it is so violent that the motion may be seen at a distance. 

 Palpitation is but a symptom, and in many instances not connected 

 with disease of the stmcture of the heart or its membranes. An 

 animal badly frightened may have palpitation. Wlien it comes on 

 suddenly and soon passes away, it depends on some cause other than 

 disease of the heart ; but when it is gradually manifested, and becomes 

 constant, although more pronounced at one time than another, heart 

 disease may be suspected, especially if other symptoms of heart dis- 

 ease are present. 



INJURY TO THE HEART BY FOREIGN BODIES. 



Cattle are addicted to the habit of chewing and swallowing many 

 objects not intended as articles of food. Every veterinarian of expe- 

 rience has met with instances to remind him of this, and it is well 

 known to butchers. Among the great variety of things that have 

 thus found their way into the stomachs of cattle the following have 

 been noticed : Finger rings, knitting needles, old shoes, table knives, 

 wood, pieces of leather, pieces of wire, buttons, hairpins, brushes, 

 nails, coins, etc. The more shai^ly pointed objects sometimes pene- 

 trate the wall of the stomach, during which they may or may not 

 cause enough irritation of the stomach to produce indigestion, gradu- 

 ally work their way through the diaphragm toward the heart, pierce 

 the pericardium (bag inclosing the heart), wound the heart, and 

 prove fatal to the animal. Cases are recorded in which the foreign 

 body has actually worked its way into one of the cavities of the heart. 

 However, instances are known in which the object took a different 

 course, and finally worked its way toward the surface and was 

 extracted from the wall of the chest. While it is possible that the 

 object may pierce the wall at different parts of the alimentary canal, 

 as it frequently does that of the rumen (paunch), it is thought that 

 in the great majority of cases it passes through the wall of the reticu- 

 lum (smaller honeycombed compartment, or second stomach) and is 

 drawn toward the heart by the suction-like action of the chest. Post- 

 mortem examinations have demonstrated the course it pursued, as 

 adhesions and other results of the inflammation it caused were plainly 

 to be seen. All manner of symptoms may precede those showing 

 involvement of the heart, depending upon the location of the foreign 

 body and the extent of inflammation caused by it. Severe indigestion 

 may occur; stiffness and difficulty in moving about, due to the prods 



