BROKEN WIND. 277 



matous state of the lungs. In almost every broken-winded horse which he has 

 examined after death, the author of this work, has found dilatation of some of 

 the air-cells, and particularly towards the edges of the lobes. There has been 

 rupture through the parietes of some of the cells, and they have evidently com- 

 municated with one another, and the air could be easily forced from one portion of 

 the cells to another. There was also a crepitating noise while this pressure was 

 made, as if the attenuated membrane of some of the cells had given way. These 

 were the true broken cells, and hence the derivation of the name of the disease. 



Broken-wind is preceded or accompanied by cough — a cough perfectly cha- 

 racteristic, and by which the horseman would, in the dark, detect the existence 

 of the disease. It is short — seemingly cut short — grunting, and followed by 

 wheezing. When the animal is suddenly struck or threatened, there is a low 

 grunt of the same nature as that of roaring, but not so loud. Broken-wind is 

 usually preceded by cough ; the cough becomes chronic, leads on to thick-wind, 

 and then there is but a step to broken-wind. It is the consequence of the 

 cough which accompanies catarrh and bronchitis oftener than that attending or 

 following pneumonia ; and of inflammation, and, probably, thickening of the 

 membrane of the bronchia, rather than of congestion of the air-cells. 



Laennec, whose illustrations of the diseases of the chest are invaluable to the 

 human surgeon, comes to our assistance, and, while describing emphysema of 

 the lungs of the human being, gives us an explication of broken-wind, more 

 satisfactory than is to be found in any of our veterinary writers. He attributes 

 what he calls diy catarrh " to the partial obstruction of the smaller bronchial 

 tubes, by the swelling of their inner membrane. The muscles of inspiration are 

 numerous and powerful, while expiration is chiefly left to the elasticity of the 

 parts : then it may happen that the air which, during inspiration, had overcome 

 the resistance opposed to its entrance by the tumid state of the membrane, 

 is unable to force its way through the same obstacle during expiration, and 

 remains imprisoned in the cells, as it were, by a valve. The succeeding inspi- 

 rations introduce a fresh supply of air, and gradually dilate the cells to a 

 greater or less extent ; and if the obstruction is of some continuance, the dilated 

 condition of the cells becomes permanent." 



Some circumstances attending this disease may now, probably, be accounted 

 for. A troublesome cough, and sometimes of long continuance, is the foundation 

 of the disease, or indicates that irritable state of the bronchial membrane 

 with which broken wind is almost necessarily associated. Horses that are 

 greedy feeders, or devour large quantities of slightly nutritious food, or 

 are worked with a stomach distended by this food, are very subject to 

 broken-wind. More depends upon the management of the food and exercise 

 than is generally supposed. The post-horse, the coach-horse, and the racer, 

 are comparatively seldom broken-winded. They are fed, at stated periods, on 

 nutritious food that lies in little compass, and their hours of feeding and of 

 exertion are so arranged that they seldom work on a full stomach. The agri- 

 cultural horse is too often fed on the very refuse of the farm, and his hours of 

 feeding, and his hours of work, are frequently irregular ; and the carriage- 

 horse, although fed on more nutritious food, is often summoned to work, by his 

 capricious master, the moment his meal is devoured. 



A rapid gallop on a full stomach has often produced broken-wind. When the 

 exertion has been considerable and long continued, we can easily conceive a rup- 

 ture of the air-cells of the soundest lungs ; but we are inclined to believe, that, were 

 the history of these cases known, there would be found to have been a gradual 

 preparation for this result. There would have been chronic cough, or more than 

 usually disturbed respiration after exercise, and then it required little more 

 to perfect the mischief. Galloping after drinking has been censured as a cause 



