PART II. 

 DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY ORGANS. 



CHAPTER I. 

 DISEASES OF THE HEART SAC. 



PERICARDITIS. 



Definition. — An inflammation of the heart sac. 



Occurrence. — It is usually secondary in animals, associated 

 with such diseases as pleuropneumonia in the horse and the 

 pleuropneumonia in hog cholera. In the ox pericarditis 

 usually results from direct injury by foreign bodies which 

 pass from the reticulum or rumen (traumatic pericarditis), 

 or it may be due to tuberculosis. 



Etiology. — Infection. Most of the pathogenic micro- 

 organisms affecting animals are capable of producing peri- 

 carditis. In practice, therefore, it occurs concomitant with 

 many infectious diseases (tuberculosis, influenza, hog 

 cholera, hemorrhagic septicemia). The most common and 

 important form of this disease seen in animals is the traumatic 

 pericarditis of the ox. The frequency with which foreign 

 objects (needles, wire, etc.) are found in the reticulum, to 

 which attention is drawn in dealing with the diseases of the 

 digestive tract, the close proximity of the reticulum to the 

 pericardium, and the marked contractions of this com- 

 partment of the stomach, are the most important factors 

 in the etiology of this common condition. In other animals 

 (horse, swine, sheep) traumatic pericarditis only occasionally 

 occurs. 



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