Symptoms. 



1067 



ngiit heart a positive (systolic) pulse of tlie jug'ular veins 

 may even be noticeable (relative insufficiency of tlie'tricuspid). 

 Further, cyanotic discoloration of the mucous membranes is 

 observed; also attacks of vertigo; in more advanced cases, 

 considerable dyspnea, sometimes pulmonary hemorrhage, 

 edema, hydrops of the body cavities, diminution of the amount 

 of urine, etc. Some of these phenomena are at first hardly 

 noticeable when the animals are at rest, but thev increase 

 decidedly even on brief motion and sometimes to such a degree 

 that the animal may die suddenly with s^miptoms of asphyxia. 



Fifr. 188. Cairliac DikUuiiou. Tlie Jotted line givt's tlie borders of llie normal lieart 

 dullness, wliieli apijears in tlie illustration to lie too high, on account of tlie 

 swelling of the lower chest. The solid line indicates the u]iper and posterior borders 

 of the greatly enlarged lieart dullness. Owing to the dilatation, the punctum niaxi- 

 nniiu of the systolic sounds arising in the left venous ostium (large circle) and of 

 the second pulmonary sound (small circle) is displaced upward. (Compare Fig. 189.) 



Course. If the animals are cared for, the symirtoms may, 

 if they are not yet severe, diminish considerably, and in such 

 cases the cardiac dullness will become much smaller. In acute 

 dilatation a complete retrogression may be observed, which, 

 however, usually leaves a hypertrophy behind. 



Diagnosis. The characteristic s5aiiptoms of cardiac dilata- 

 tion are : enlargement of the heart dullness, increase in the 

 force of the first heart sound, arhytlimia of the heart action, 

 feeble pulse, symptoms of stasis. The fee))leness of the pulse 

 differentiates the disease from primary hypertrophy of the 



