314 Veterinary Medicine. 



its aeration. Sometimes this fails to be effected, and venous blood 

 from the fight side of the heart continues to mix with arterial in 

 the left, deteriorating it in quality and unfitting it for nutrition, 

 secretion, calorification, and other essential processes. The semi- 

 venous blood circulating in the arteries gives a bluish hue to the 

 visible mucous membrane, hence the name of the blue disease. 

 This blood is unfit for sustaining the vital changes essential to the 

 production of animal heat, so that the animal suffers from cold- 

 ness of the surface and extremities, staring coat and general un- 

 thrifty appearance. Such subjects grow badlv, and refuse to lay 

 on flesh, but are said to arrive at maturity in some instances and 

 to have their imperfection recognized only because of the short 

 breathing, and irregular heart's action when subjected to exer- 

 tion. A heart murmur preceding the first sound of health is 

 usually present, as in anaemia. 



Drs. Abernethy and Wardrop draw attention to the frequency 

 of previous fo)'amen ovale in the human subject in connection 

 with pulmonary consumption, and opine that it is reopened as a 

 consequence of this disease. The coincidence has not been ob- 

 served in the lower animals, though if it were found to exist tlie 

 question would arise whether the deterioration of the blood and 

 general health in open foramen ovale did not also favor the de- 

 posit of tubercle in the lungs. When from deficient ventilation 

 the atmo.sphere and blood become impregnated with carbonic di- 

 oxide the production of tubercle in man or in animals is corre- 

 spondingly frequent. 



The subjects of previous foramen ovale die young or prove 

 worthless when they arrive at maturity. Nothing can be done to 

 ameliorate the condition. 



