THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. 217 



disorder has subsided. After-treatment must be directed 

 to fattening the animal as the deposits around the heart 

 constantly tend to impede its action. 



Complications have been already indicated^ the most fre- 

 quent are carditis and pleuro-pneumonia sporadica. 



Hydrops Pericardii — Dropsy op the Pericardial Sac — 

 is generally that stage of pericarditis in which effusion 

 has taken place. The accumulation of liquor pericardii 

 may occur in connection with other dropsical disorders, 

 especially hydrothorax. And in cases of anaemia the 

 normal amount is increased, but in such instances the 

 accumulation does not interfere with the action of the 

 heart or with respiration. '^ Tapping '^ the pericardial sac 

 has been tried in this disease of the horse. The sym- 

 ptoms and treatment are those of the advanced stage of 

 pericarditis. 



Bupture of the Pericardium. — A case of this nature is 

 recorded in the ' Yeterinarian,' vol. viii, p. 319 ; com- 

 plicated thoracic and abdominal disorder existed, and on 

 post-mortem examination, the pericardium was found 

 ruptured on the right side, forming a foramen of about 

 Igth inch in diameter, and it appeared as if the edges of 

 the opening on one side had receded from the surrounding 

 parts. Adhesive inflammation had formed a complete 

 duplicature of the pericardium, which '' presented the 

 appearance of tanned leather.^' 



Cardiac Polypi, or Hcematomata, are tumours inside the 

 heart, generally resulting from endocarditis, with granu- 

 lation or subendocardiac blood extravasations and deposi- 

 tion of coagula upon the roughened surface. They 

 generally grow on the valves, but may appear on any part 

 of the lining membrane of the heart. Frequently they 

 assume the shape of casts of the cavity in which they are 

 placed. ^They seem often to cause no appreciable sym- 

 ptoms, not being suspected before the animal's slaughter. 

 A tumour of this kind may extend from the wall 

 of the auricle through the auriculo-ventricular opening 

 into the cavity of the ventricle, impeding the action of 

 the valves. These masses of fibrin are often attached by 



