374 SCIRRHOUS DISEASE OF THE HEART OF A HORSE. 
surrounded by portions of loose thin membrane that had covered 
the opening. 
It appears to me that a circular portion of the aorta, of about half 
an inch in diameter, had, excepting a very thin covering on its 
outer side, become absorbed, without implicating the adjoining parts 
by any adhesions or depositions. 
Since this horse died, another valuable half-bred horse, belong- 
ing to the same person, was found dead in the field, but I did not 
see him opened. 
SCIRRHOUS DISEASE OF THE HEART OF A HORSE. 
By Mr. W. C. SPOONER, V. S., Southampton. 
In the early part of September T was requested to look at a 
valuable thorough-bred yearling colt, belonging to Viscount P — , 
that had a slight swelling of the pastern joint of the off fore leg, 
which appeared to be somewhat distorted, as if from a contraction 
of the sinews behind it. The colt looked thin and did badly. Some 
days afterwards one of the hind legs, at the fetlock joint, without 
any apparent cause, felt hot and enlarged, producing lameness. I 
then felt assured the mischief proceeded from some constitutional 
derangement. At first I thought it was rheumatic inflammation, 
but soon afterwards was inclined to refer it to derangement of the 
circulating medium. With this idea I examined the pulse and 
the action of the heart minutely. The former, though quickened to 
60 in a minute, and rather weak, was regular in its action, and the 
latter did not betoken the disease which was afterwards exhibited. 
The swellings were treated with warm fomentations, followed by 
the application of iodine with mercury, in the form of an oint- 
ment, and hydriodate of potash with mineral and vegetable tonics. 
The colt appeared to get better, and the swellings seemed to be 
dispersed by the treatment — only, however, to appear again shortly 
on other joints : and thus for some time it appeared to fly about 
from joint to joint, the animal getting alternately better and worse. 
At length, one afternoon, about a month after my first seeing him, 
he was found dead in his box, though appearing as well as usual 
an hour or two previously. On examining the body next day the 
swellings of the joints had in a great measure disappeared, but 
leaving appearances of inflammation in the surrounding tissues. 
No other lesion was found until I reached the heart, when the 
cause of disease and death was at once exhibited. The left side 
