196 BROKEN- WIND. 



BROKEN-WIND* 



This is immediately recognizable by the mamier of breathing 

 The inspiration is performed in somewhat less than the natural 

 time, and with an increased degree of labor ; but the expiration 

 has a peculiar difficulty accompanying it. It is accomplished by 

 a double effort, in the first of which, as Mr. Blaine has well 

 explained it, " the usual muscles operate ; and in the other, the 

 auxiliary muscles, particularly the abdominal, are put on the 

 stretch to complete the expulsion more perfectly ; and that being 

 done, the flank falls, or the abdominal muscles relax with a 

 kind of jerk or spasm." 



This is attributable to an emphysematous state of the lungs. 

 The inner membrane of the bronchial tubes swells and partly 

 obstructs them. The powerful muscles of inspiration, however, 

 overcome that obstruction, and fill the cells of the lungs with air. 

 But there are no such muscles to aid expiration — ^to force the air 

 out again. It is left chiefly to the elasticity of the parts — suffi- 

 cient when the bronchial tubes are in their ordinary unobstructed 

 condition, but not sufficient when they are so obstructed as to 

 require considerable force to press the air through them. Ac- 

 cordingly the air remains imprisoned iu the cells, and every suc- 

 ceeding inspiration introduces more air into them until they are 

 ruptured, or the dilated condition becomes permanent. 

 , Broken-wdnd is preceded or accompanied by cough — a cough 

 perfectly characteristic, 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 ani- 

 mal 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 bronchiae, rather than of congestion of the air-cells. 



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 neces- 

 Barily associated. Horses that are greedy feeders, or devour large 

 quantities of slightly nutritious food, or are worked with a stom- 

 ach 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 



