Traumatic Pericarditis. Foreign Bodies in Pericardium. 455 



resulting phlegmonous inflammation. I have seen a milch cow 

 in fine condition, and apparent health enter the prize ring, have 

 the first prize awarded her, and fall dead from a baling wire in 

 the pericardium, before leaving the ring. 



In other cases with extensive and microbian implication of the 

 pleura and lung there is a high fever, anorexia, labored breath- 

 ing and even a swelling with pitting on pressure on each side of 

 the sternum. The exudate in the mediastinum only, is usually 

 too deep and too limited to give satisfactory results in percussion, 

 but the observer may be happy enough to detect a clicking sound 

 from the bursting of bubbles and passing of gas through the fis- 

 tula. If there is a collection of liquid in the pleura, we may have 

 all the significant symptoms of pleurisy with effusion and even 

 of hydro-pneumo- thorax. 



When the morbid process has reached the pericardium we find 

 as a sequel to the symptoms just named, others that indicate 

 pericarditis, hurried breathing amounting at times to dyspnoea, 

 readily roused by making the animal walk a few steps. If not 

 accompanied by a moan, when at rest, a grunt is elicited with 

 each step, and the nose is protruded. A pleuritic ridge may 

 show on the flank and expiration is preceded by a sudden closure 

 of the glottis and arrest of the inspiration, and accompanied by 

 a double lifting of the flank. The body and even the neck are 

 stiff and rigid, every movement or step causing suffering and a 

 moan. A cough, short, weak and painful, is now present, roused 

 by any movement, as driving. Palpitations and irregularities, 

 even to intermission of the heart and pulse are to be looked for. 

 Friction sound synchronous with the heart beat may be detected, 

 followed later, it may be, by a rushing splashing or metallic tink- 

 ling sound from the presence of both liquid and gas in the peri- 

 cardium. The sounds are often louder on the right side of the 

 chest than on the left, indicating in such cases, the presence of 

 an abundant exudate on that side of the pericardium. If the 

 patient lies down it is usually on the right side and the difficulty 

 of breathing is greatly aggravated. If not noticed before, drop- 

 sical effusion in the dewlap and on each side of the sternum 

 now appears, sometimes only enough to cause pitting on pressure, 

 at others forming a thick oedematous cushion and extending into 

 the fore limbs. 



