20 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



heart. In the ox and other ruminants we get the jugular pulse 

 during rumination, — purely a physiological condition. 



The pulse is the most important means of making a diagnosis. 

 One should become familiar with the various kinds of pulse. 

 The sense of touch should be cultivated so as to be able to 

 differentiate the characteristics of the pulse. 



TEMPERATURE. 



As regards the temperature of animals there are two con- 

 ditions to be found; warm-blooded animals maintain an even 

 temperature regardless of the surrounding medium. Cold- 

 blooded animals have the same temperature as the medium in 

 which they live. All mammals are warm-blooded; amphibians, 

 fishes and insects are cold-blooded. 



In a warm-blooded animal any rise in temperature denotes a 

 fever ; any loss denotes waning vitality. The amount of the fever 

 is measured by the number of degrees of rise in temperature; 

 the subnormal tem.perature is measured by the number of degrees 

 the temperature is lowered. 



The normal temperature of the horse is 100; if the temper- 

 ature rises above 104, the case is serious, and if above 106, 

 dangerous. The temperature may rise to 107, 109, or possibly 

 higher and recover if reduced promptly, i. e., in a few hours. 

 But if a horse's temperature stands at 106 for a week he will 

 die; at 107 for three days, or 109 for three hours, or 110 for 

 one hour, a horse will die. A sub-normal temperature of 93 is 

 always fatal in the horse. In fact 2 degrees below normal is 

 very dangerous and nearly always fatal. 



It is not safe to guess at the temperature, the practitioner must 

 measure it with a clinical thermometer. The best place to take 

 the temperature is at the anus, although there is some danger 

 in inserting the thermometer. The animal may not like it and 

 resist and kick. Therefore always stand to one side of the horse, 

 he cannot kick out at the side. When inserting the thermometer 

 in the anus, notice whether it is closed or not. In nervous 

 prostration it is usually relaxed and the thermometer must be 

 held in place. 



