266 
RHEUMATISM IN THE HORSE. 
Sectio cadaveris . — The muscles connecting the humerus to 
the chest, as well as those in the neighbourhood of the hip joint, 
were, in places, in a state approaching to mortification. The 
hock joints contained a large quantity of synovial fluid, thick, 
and nearly opaque; and in one hock, at the upper and back 
part of the joint — the seat of thorough-pin — the synovia was 
in a coagulated state. The capsular ligament was considerably 
thickened at the seat of bog spavin, and appeared red and in- 
jected. There was considerable adhesion of the viscera of the 
chest, and inflammation of the pleura costalis ; water in the pe- 
ricardium, enlargement of the heart, and vomicse in one lung. 
The liver was found considerably thickened, and, on being cut into, 
exhibited a curious appearance : white lines, about an eighth 
of an inch in thickness, appeared running irregularly among its 
substance, giving it quite a marbled appearance. These white 
lines appeared to be of a scirrhous nature ; but the greater por- 
tion of the liver was rather darker than common, though readily 
broken down. 
I had known the pony nearly two years : he was about ten 
or twelve years old, and used to carry a great deal of flesh. 
Within the last six months he had fallen off in this respect, 
though he by no means looked poor ; but the owner finding that 
he did not perform his journeys with the same vigour as before, 
though he usually set out with much spirit, sold him to a gen- 
tleman, who, not approving of him, shortly afterwards re-sold 
him to another, from whom he passed into the hands, at a re- 
duced price, of a respectable dealer, who thought he had a bar- 
gain, but found to his cost that it was by no means a fortunate 
one. The post-mortem appearances fully explained the history 
of the case — the loss of condition was, no doubt, to be attributed 
to the diseased state of the liver, which was probably the prior 
disease. The flying lamenesses, muscular pains, swellings of 
the joints, inflammation of the sheath of the tendons and symp- 
toms of pleurisy, all appeared to be owing to the rheumatic affec- 
tion which, though attacking different cavities and flying about 
from part to part, yet exhibited throughout the same distinctive 
character — attacking at each time the same description of mem- 
branes. 
