Diseases of the Heart. 205 



Symptoms. General fever, staring coat, hot dry mouth 

 (muzzle, snout,) dilated nostrils, excited, difficult breath- 

 ing, double liftiag of the flant with each expiration, the 

 formation of a ridge on the abdomen as in pleurisy, ten- 

 derness when pinched or percussed behiad the left elbow 

 (in rumiaants and small quadrupeds over the breast-bone), 

 a rubbiag sound with each beat of the heart and the im- 

 pulse of the heart strong. Soon, effusion takes place, the 

 rubbing sound is lost, the impulse of the heart and its 

 sounds are weakened and the area of dullness in percussion 

 is increased. This dullness does not maintain a horizontal 

 line along the chest as in hydrothorax, but is like an in- 

 verted cone and changes its position with a change of pos- 

 ture which is easily effected in small animals. Difficulty 

 and oppression of breathing, protruded nose, staring eye- 

 balls, pinched, haggard countenance, venous pulse and 

 obstinate standing mark the advanced stages. Dropsies 

 of the limbs and other dependent parts are also frequent. 

 A painful cough is sometimes though not constantly pres- 

 ent throughout the disease. Death may ensue in five 

 days to three weeks, or the disease may become chronic 

 or end in recovery. 



The chronic form is seen in the ox without any preced- 

 ing acute attack. There is shght fever, oppressed breath- 

 ing aggravated by exertion, weak, irregular, intermittent 

 pulse, distant heart sounds, absence of respiratory mur- 

 mur, dullness on percussion over an increased, cone-hke 

 area behind the left elbow, venous pulse and general 

 dropsy. 



Treatment. In the prehminary shivering, treat as for 

 congested lungs. Later, bleeding may sometimes be ben- 

 eficial in strong subjects by reheving extreme difficulty of 

 breathing and high nervous excitement. Usually it would 

 be injurious. Give a purgative (horse, aloes; ox and 

 sheep, Glauber salts ; dog and pig, castor-oil ) foment the 

 walls of the chest and envelop in a large mustard poultice 

 until the skin is well thickened, moderate the heart's ac- 



