88 
A PECULIAR AFFECTION IN THE HORSE. 
Venous system . — The blood was coagulated so as to render the 
vessels almost completely opaque. This was principally observable 
in the posterior vena cava, the vena porta, and the mesenteric 
veins. About the mammae and abdominal members, the obstruction 
appeared so complete, especially in the smaller ramifications of 
the vessels, that one would be inclined to suppose the circulation 
could not be carried on : notwithstanding this, however, there was 
no adhesion between the clot and the parietes of the vein, or, at 
least, the separation between them was easily effected. This has 
been since observed by M. Renault. 
One circumstance that somewhat surprised us was, that the 
blood contained in the veins of the anterior part of the body was 
far from presenting any changes so considerable as these. The clots, 
as yet impregnated by their colouring matter, were not sufficiently 
large to oppose its free passage. The internal membrane did not 
present, at any point, the slightest trace of inflammation, except 
we regard as such the redness which was particularly observable 
on the parietes of the vena porta and the veins of the fore-limbs, — 
a redness which entirely disappeared if a small stream of water was 
poured upon it. In other places we also found on the inner face 
of these vessels, and principally in the mesenteric vein, and 
stretched over it as a kind of varnish, a thin layer of plastic matter, 
which was easily raised by the cutting edge of a bistoury. The 
internal membrane then offered the same characters as in a state of 
health. It had a glassy appearance, was soft to the touch, and had 
a general uniform aspect. 
At the base of some of the valves, and in the very substance of 
them, we found some small points of the thickness of a pin’s head, 
formed of a white material more or less easily crushed, and much 
resembling the concretions which Beclard has designated by the 
name of phltholites — calculi of the veins. The clot which filled 
the interior of the vena cava was totally formed of a white sub- 
stance,, resisting, elastic, and separating into small filaments. At 
the place which corresponds with its passage through the diaphragm, 
the clot was covered by a marbled tint, which gradually assumed a 
brown colour ; there it was less hard, and impregnated by its own 
colouring matter. 
The Arterial System . — The left cavities of the heart were filled 
with black and frothy blood. The clots of blood possessed the 
same appearance and character as in the veins, but, instead of con- 
tinuing throughout the whole extent of this canal, they were some- 
times separated by intervals of spumy matter, or by brownish 
clots of blood, evidently of recent formation. The fibrinous con- 
cretions were neither to be found in the anterior aorta nor any of its 
divisions, nor in those of the posterior aorta, with the exception of 
