26o Veterinary Medicine. 



Auscultation and percussion complete the diagnosis. At th^ 

 outset the inflamed portion of lung, usually near its lower part, 

 conveys a crepitating sound to the ear, but as consolidation ex- 

 tends, the healthy murmur and the crepitating r^le are alike sup- 

 pressed over the whole extent of the hepatised portion around the 

 margin of which, a line of crepitation betrays the limit of the ad- 

 vancing inflammation. A similar line of crepitation encircles the 

 hepatised mass even when the exuded products are being absorbed 

 and when the lung is being cleared up and restored to its healthy 

 state. Thus the advance of the inflammation, and the progress 

 of recovery can be equally followed by the crepitation which, in 

 the different circumstances, betokens active inflammation or active 

 absorption. When both lungs are involved the posterior parts 

 are chiefly implicated, while if the pneumonia is single it may 

 attack the anterior, median or posterior part, or the entire lung may 

 become consolidated. If hepatisation exists in the anterior part 

 of the lung the thick fleshy shoulder will forbid any satisfactory 

 examination, but if in the middle portion only, while the respira- 

 tory murmur is lost it will be replaced by a strong blowing sound 

 (bronchial respiration) because the noise of the air rushing 

 through the larger bronchial tubes to the posterior healthy part 

 of the lung is conveyed with greater force to the ear through the 

 consolidated lung tissue. This is audible from the lower third of 

 the chest to the upper limit of hepatization. The respiratory 

 murmur in the healthy lung is always louder than is natural. 



Percussion confirms these results. Over the hepatised lung 

 where no respiratory sound remains, a dull, dead sound only is 

 brought out by the impulse of the fingers or closed fist, compar- 

 able to that obtained by percussion over the muscular masses of 

 the shoulder or haunch, and forming a marked contrast to that 

 obtained over the surrounding healthy lung. There is not that 

 tenderness on pressure in the intercostal spaces which characterises 

 pleurisy, but a sharp blow with the closed fist leads to wincing 

 and usually grunting because of the concussion to which the 

 diseased part is subjected. By encreasing the force of such 

 blows the deepest parts of the lungs may be tested, since in this 

 way dullness due to consolidation of the deeper portions of the 

 lungs may be detected even though the superficial investing 

 parts are healthy. 



