155 
DROPSY AND THICKENING OF THE 
PERICARDIUM. 
By Mr, W. A. .Cartwright, F.S., Whitchurch, Salop. 
In the month of August, 1841, a cow of Mr. Tapley’s, of the 
Hollyhurst, had the prevailing epizootic, and got pretty well over 
it, having only some disease about one hind foot, and which con- 
tinued up to her death. In the beginning of November she ap- 
peared not so well as usual, and did not feed so freely. On the 
12th of the same month the owner wished me to see her, as there 
was a large swelling come between her fore legs. I went over 
and saw her. 
Symptoms . — She was lying down, and breathing pretty freely. 
She was in fair condition. I made her get up, which increased 
her respiration, and I could now distinctly hear, at a little dis- 
tance from her, a peculiar sound in the action of the heart, and 
which was much louder than natural : it was the sound of a fluid 
running out of a barrel or bottle when it “ wants air.” Her 
breath was of the natural odour, and there was no discharge from 
the nostrils. There was a large cedematous tumour between the 
fore legs, extending down to the dewlap. It had been punctured 
by the owner with the fleam, and I again punctured it with the 
lancet in several places ; but I told the owner there was some 
effusion about the heart and lungs, and that she, most probably, 
would not recover. I ordered that some cordial diuretic medicine 
should be given. In three days after she died. 
Examination . — The pericardium adhered to the pleura costalis 
on the near side, and, on trying to separate the adhesion, l cut 
through into the pericardial sac, when a large quantity of fluid 
escaped. The whole of the pericardium was at least a quarter 
of an inch thick, and l should imagine that there were two gal- 
lons of a sero-purulent fluid in its sac, of the colour of whey, but 
a little thicker, and smelling offensively. 
On cutting open the heart there was evidently a disease of the 
whole of the pericardium surrounding it. There was a distinct 
layer on it of about three-eighths of an inch in thickness, forming 
a part of its substance, though differing in texture from it as the 
fibres lay in a different direction to the other part, and very dis- 
tinct and of a different colour. The whole surface of the peri- 
cardium, within the sac, was covered with a sort of secretion or 
settlement from the fluid that was within, that could easily be 
scraped off'. It was of a drab colour. 
The lungs were in nearly a natural state, and there was but little 
