a-8 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETFRINARY ART. 



with inflammation, it becomes thickened in 

 consequence, and the capacity of the lungs 

 will of course be diminished ; this will cause a 

 quickness in respiration •, but not that irrecrular 

 or unequal kind of breathing by which broken 

 wind is characterised. The complaint which 

 is tluis produced is commoidy tenned thick 

 wind; and the horse so atTected, if made to 

 move rapidly, wheezes like an asthmatic per- 

 son, and is unfit for any violent exercise. It 

 not unfrcquently happens, I believe, that this 

 complaint proves a cause of broken wind ; for 

 when tiie membrane is much thickened, many 

 of the finer branches of the win.lpipe are j^ro- 

 bably obstructed m a greater or less degree : 

 the violent coughing which usually accompa- 

 nies this disease, will, under sucn circum- 

 stances, be very liable to rupture some of the 

 air-cells. The same efl:'ect niay be produced 

 by violent exercise when the stomiach is dis- 

 tended with food or water. 1 believe, how- 

 ever, that a plethora or fulness of habit is most 

 comnioijiy the remote cause of broken wind. 

 In tiiat case there is generally an undue deter- 

 mmation of blood to the lungs, whereby the 

 secretion within the air-vessels is increased, 

 and perhaps rendered somewhat acrimonious 



