BROKEN WIND. 631 



On looking at the flanks of a broken- winded horse, it is 

 found that at every expiration the solid walls of the chest 

 drop, and then the abdominal muscles succeed in action, so 

 that there is a double movement to effect the expulsion of air 

 from the lungs. Mr Percivall proposes to call this jerking 

 respiration. In bad cases of broken wind, if the anus is 

 watched, a singular protrusion and recession may be noticed 

 as the animal breathes, and synchronous with the respiration. 

 The double action of the expiratory muscles is best seen in 

 the broken-winded horse after exertion, but even when not 

 exerted, the breathing is frequent and laboured. 



Auscultation has been resorted to for the diagnosis of 

 broken wind, and Mr Percivall quotes Delafond, who says : 

 " The pathognomonic signs of pulmonary emphysema" a 

 condition of lung often witnessed in broken wind "are : 1st, 

 The interrupted respiration; weak respiratory murmur; loud 

 resonance of the thoracic parietes; rubbing sound; sibilous 

 and crepitant rales. 2ndly, The simultaneous existence of all 

 these symptoms in many parts of the lung indicates general 

 vesicular dilatation and interlobular emphysema. Srdly, 

 Weak respiratory murmur during expiration, rubbing sound 

 during inspiration, abnormal resonance of both sides of the 

 chest, are more especially the signs of simple vesicular 

 dilatation confined to the anterior lobes, or of dilata- 

 tion throughout the pulmonary tissue. 4thly, The dry 

 crepitous and dry sibilous rales, deeply interrupted respira- 

 tion, very loud resonance, and extreme dyspnoea during exer- 

 cise, are the special indications of interlobular emphysema, 

 othly, and lastly, The presence of dry crepitous rale and loud 

 resonance, located in one or more parts of the lungs, announce 

 local vesicular dilatation in those places." 



The digestive organs are functionally disturbed in broken 

 wind, and the flatulence which so often constitutes a promi- 



