370 DILATATION OF THE HEART. 



what steep hill, at the top of which she reeled to and fro, 

 and sank to rise no more. 



In the second case the horse was sold to some horse-coper 

 for 6, and I lost sight of him. The third is still under 

 observation for the benefit of our students, and will in due 

 time be destroyed for dissection. 



The post-mortem appearances in the chestnut horse indi- 

 cated enormous dilatation, with atrophy of right side of the 

 heart. The tricuspid valve was insufficient. The muscular 

 structure of the heart had undergone slight fatty degenera- 

 tion. 



These interesting cases are of moment to the veterinarian 

 in indicating the possibility of diagnosis by a correct appre- 

 ciation of symptoms. They will be found to correspond in 

 many points with the following cases which I quote from Mr 

 Percivall's Hippo-Pathology : " Mr Pritchard was requested 

 to examine a six-year-old mare, on account of falling away in 

 flesh. He found her poor and lean on the rib, with belly 

 large, and coat unhealthy ; although she had been for several 

 weeks in good pasture, where she, otherwise, appeared toler- 

 ably well and lively. Pulse 84, rather hard and irregular. 

 The impulse of the heart indicated a change in its structure, 

 by a loud and sonorous stroke, recognised on the right side 

 of the chest nearly as forcibly as on the left. Its beating 

 was regular; but an unnatural rhythm, a throbbing palpita- 

 tion, accompanied the stroke. The blood in the jugular 

 veins met with considerable impediment. The regurgitation 

 observed in these vessels at the bottom of the neck, slight in 

 horses in health, was in this mare considerable, and extended 

 up the neck even to the head. The belly and legs were 

 slightly cedematous. At length, diarrhoea attacked her, and 

 carried her off. The pericardium was thinner and more 

 capacious than ordinary. The heart appeared unusually 



