PERICARDITIS, 



453 



through which the blood runs directly into the stomach. When 

 the duration of the disease has been long, it is exceptional to find 

 the heart hypertrophied or dilated, the compression exerted upon 

 it by the pericardial exudate has almost always made it flaccid, 

 small, and atrophied.^ 



In some cases we observe pleurisy, adhesions of the pleural folds, 

 centres of pneumonia, adhesions between the heart and the dia- 

 phragm, as well as the alterations described under the subject of 

 traumatic inflammation of the stomach and diaphragm. 



Symptoms. The symptoms of pericarditis by foreign bodies 

 follow those of phlegmasia of the stomach and diaphragm : chronic 

 gastritis appearing without appreciable cause, the evolution of which 

 is insidious and which is accompanied by painful manifestations 

 when breathing, making expulsive exertions, frequent alvine evacua- 

 tions, diaphragmatic palpitations, etc., enterorrhagias, considerable 

 emaciation — troubles which are intractable to all medicati n. 



To these manifestations of chronic catarrh of the stomach are 

 added characteristic cardiac and pulmonary symptoms, as well as 

 general phenomena ; in most cases they are developed abruptly 

 after delivery, over-exertion, etc. 



1. Cardiac symptoms. At the onset of the affection the heart 

 impulse is strong, palpitating, bounding; later, as the exudate in- 

 creases, it becomes weak, then disappears completely or is only 

 manifested by an undulatory movement. Percussion, which is 

 very painful for the animals, permits us to determine an increase 

 of precordial dulness, the extent of which is proportioned to the 

 quantity of pericardial exudate; quite frequently we perceive a 

 tympanic resonance extend over the whole region of the heart, 

 and which is due to the driving back of this organ by the liquid 

 exudate and by gases coming from the reticulum or resulting from 

 the decomposition of the exudate; it may be extended to the whole 

 left costal region (pneumothorax, pleurisy, compression of the lung, 

 and atelectasis). In dry pericarditis the palpitation shows a slight 

 friction, which is synchronous with the movements of the heart; 

 when there is a liquid exudate we often observe undulatory bruits. 



Auscultation of the heart furnishes precise information ; the ear 



1 We have observed a case of traumatic pericarditis in which thirteen months 

 elapsed between the accident and death. The foreign body (a nail) was fixed in the 

 cardiac muscle The heart was atrophied notwithstanding the small amount of exu- 

 date (Recueil Vet,, 1889).— n. d. t. 



