322 Veterinary Medicine. 



natural is comparatively regular. In particular the inspiration is 

 free and full and comparatively painless, the sudden check and 

 the grunt by which it was arrested having alike disappeared. 

 The tension of the abdominal muscles and the tucked up appear- 

 ance of the flanks give way ; the pulse acquires a softer character, 

 the haggard, pinched countenance is relaxed, and a general ap- 

 pearance of comfort and even liveliness prevades the animal. This 

 temporary improvement is often so great that the horse will take 

 to feeding as if he had all at once recovered. 



The apparent recovery is, however, only transient. Soon the 

 pulse becomes more frequent and loses its fullness, the breathing 

 is more laborious and attended with a characteristic lifting of the 

 flanks and loins, the nostrils are widely dilated, the limbs out- 

 stretched and the elbows out-turned, the eyes stare and project 

 and the countenance has a haggard appearance indicating threat- 

 ened suffocation. Partial sweats may break out on the surface, 

 due to the state of nervous excitement and general relaxation and 

 supplementing in some degree the impaired exhalation from the 

 lungs. Auscultation over the lower region of the chest shows a 

 complete absence of the respiratory murmur, rising to the same 

 level precisely at all points. Percussion elicits no resonance on 

 the same region. If the effusion has taken place slowly or existed 

 for some time, the dullness and absence of sound will usually in- 

 dicate that the liquid rises to the same level on both sides. So 

 thin and permeable is the posterior mediastinum in its lower part 

 that unless thickly coated by new solid exudations, the effusion 

 readily passes through it and rises to the same height on both 

 sides. If gas as well as liquid is produced in the pleural sac a 

 gurgling or splashing sound may be heard on auscultation, and 

 occasionally, after rising or other change of position, a metallic 

 tinkling, due to droppings from the shreds of false membranes 

 above into the fluid below. 



As the disease proceeds dropsical effusions are observed beneath 

 the skin of the breast and abdomen and into the limbs, a mucous 

 rattle is heard in the trachea, a clucking sound may be at times 

 heard over the chest, the nose, ears and limbs become cold, the 

 pulse increases in rapidity and weakness, shows the distinct 

 ansemic tremor or thrill, and becomes rapidly imperceptible ; the 

 horse moves unsteadily and often falls suddenly dead. 



