DISEASES OF THE HEART, LIVER, &C. IN LAMBS. 369 
with black blood ; the pericardium was invariably found dis- 
tended, it seemed almost to bursting, with a transparent fluid, 
serum, and a clear jelly-like consistence, coagulated lymph. The 
serum in most cases preponderated in quantity ; the lymph was in 
a consistent mass, and about equal to and not unlike the white of a 
hen’s egg ; the pericardium had notan inflamed appearance, but was 
usually of its natural colour. The hearts also presented many varie- 
ties of disease, as hypertrophy, carditis, and endo-carditis, and 
softening. In one case of hypertrophy and endo-carditis in a fleshy 
lamb, the walls of the ventricles were thickened and dark coloured ; 
the internal lining membrane of the ventricles also dark coloured, 
and presenting spots of ecchymosis; the external covering of the 
heart exhibiting the same characteristics. The apex was also nearly 
black, as though bruised by striking against the ribs. Upon cutting 
off about half an inch of it, I found the same dark colour pervade 
its muscular substance. I also found the livers of the lambs which 
died of hydrocardia enlarged, inflamed, and softened. Some of 
the lambs died of scour. These were all in low condition. But 
the heart in these also appeared to have sustained the brunt of the 
attack originally. It was contracted and indurated, and occa- 
sionally of a deepish transparent blue colour, increased in intensity 
from the apex to the base ; the serum and lymph in the pericardium 
small in quantity (absorbed); the lymph flaky, and in two or 
three instances adhering. They appeared to have recovered of 
hydrocardia only to suffer from disease of another kind, and 
perhaps equally fatal, dysentery. The treatment resorted to 
first, as a prophylactic, was to remove the flock from the water 
meadows to the downs, from high keep to comparatively low, the 
lambs with scour being allowed gruel. Therapeutically, all of 
them had opening and ’diuretic medicine in combination, and to 
those in high condition, the subjects of hydrocardia, it was re- 
peated at intervals of two or three days, until amendment was 
perceptible. It was not many days before some of them were 
seen skipping and running about as usual. I found the pulse ave- 
rage about 120. In all 1 tested, it amounted to nearly the same 
number of beats : from one which ranged between 130 and 140 1 
drew blood; it did very well. The lambs with scour, after having 
each a dose of opening medicine, were treated with the sheep and 
calves’ cordial named in the treatise upon sheep by the late 
Mr. Youatt. This they had for three or four following days. I had 
the satisfaction to learn, that, subsequently to the first night, after 
taking the medicine, when five died, but one or two died nightly ; 
and the deaths proceeded at this rate for, I believe, some three or 
four weeks: which, in fact, 1 had previously prepared the owner 
to expect, conceiving it highly improbable that many of the poor, 
