CHRONIC RHEUMATISM. 85 



both confined to the muscles of the shoulder and the chest. In 

 chest-founder the chief seat of the disease is the serratus magnus 

 muscle, which is a broad sheet of muscular fibres attached below 

 to the lower ends of the ribs, and above to the upper edge of the 

 shoulder-blade. This muscle, one on each side the body, suspends 

 the chest to the shoulder-blade, and is exposed to great strains 

 either in coming down from a leap, or in stopping the dog in his 

 turns, particularly down hill. There is no other connection of 

 any importance, either ligamentous or bony, which may serve 

 to attach the shoulder to the body, and though this broad muscle 

 is said to be aided by certain bands of cellular fibres, they can 

 scarcely be considered as of much use in any but the ordinary 

 movements of the body. When, therefore, the dog has been 

 exposed to the severe cold and wet which he often experiences 

 in the slips, and then has a trying course, killing his hare 

 perhaps down a steep bank or the side of a hill, it cannot be 

 wondered at that this muscle should suffer. The attack arises 

 partly from the sprain, but also from the rheumatic inflammation 

 consequent upon the exposure to cold settling in that muscle 

 which has been most exposed to injury from the shocks of the 

 course. If the chest-founder is at once attended to, there is every 

 probability of its entire removal, but if it is neglected in the 

 early stage it is a most intractable disease. The dog goes well up 

 hill, and can often play and gallop in a straightforward direction 

 as well as ever, but he loses his power of turning, or stopping 

 himself down hill and often falls when making a rush at his 

 game. 



