Palpitations. 419 



Palpitations in the lower animals not dependent on any struc- 

 tural disease of the heart are usually due to some violent mental 

 emotion, such as fear or joy. The author once possessed a fast 

 and clever cob, having no sign of organic disease, and equal to 

 the severest work on the road without showing signs of exhaus- 

 tion, but which nevertheless was affected by palpitation when 

 threatened with a cane in his stall, or if he had been guilty of 

 some wilful misdemeanor for which he dreaded punishment. In 

 such cases the heart's action was accelerated and the beating 

 could be heard loudly for a distance of several yards. They are 

 especially common in dogs under strong mental emotion (joy, 

 fear), and in dogs and pigs suffering from digestive disorder 

 (worms) or chest diseases. 



Percivall collects a series of cases from the Veterinarian under 

 the head of Spasm of the Diaphragm, a diagnosis originating in 

 the jerking movement of the flank, a symptom which, as is shown 

 in the above table, is common to man as well. Leblanc equally 

 collects cases from the French veterinary journals and acknowl- 

 edges their true character. One of these observed by Coulbeaux 

 is thus described : ' ' The respiratory movements are interrupted 

 by a violent lifting of the flanks, confined to the upper part, and 

 so intense as to be appreciated by the hand as well as the eye. 

 The lifting of the flank which is limited to a few square inches 

 of surface precisely in the hollow of this region, is perfectly 

 isochronous with the beats of the heart, which cannot be 

 appreciated but by the ear." 



A case reported by lyevrat at greater length may also be given. 

 The subject a mare, fifteen years old, and kept for hire, was at- 

 tacked without any known cause. "There was a jerking of the 

 whole body produced by the extraordinary force of the beats of 

 the heart which struck violently against the back towards the 

 upper ends of the first asternal ribs on the left side. The shock 

 is very distinct and does not appear to be due to any tumor 

 interposed between the heart and the ribs ; its force is such 

 that it causes a movement of the whole body, which can be 

 seen at a great distance. The beats of the heart very regu- 

 lar, numbering fifty per minute, were heterochronous with the 

 pulsations of the submaxillary artery, which are of the same 

 number." (The pulsation was evidently retarded). "The 



