A CASE OF PERICARDITIS. 
251 
If such efforts as tl^.ese be not made with an animal shewing a 
tendency to such an eruption, one of a chronic character may be 
expected, and will require for its removal treatment differing con¬ 
siderably from that recommended above. 
PERICARDITIS, AND GENERAL THORACIC AFFECTION, 
PRODUCED BY A PIN PENETRATING THE PERICARDIUM, AND 
WOUNDING THE HEART. 
Mr. George Horsefield, V. S., WeiiHvortli. 
I HAVE been a subscriber to The Veterinarian ever 
since its commencement, and find in it much useful matter ; and 
am glad it is going on prosperously, admirably displaying our 
present state of physiological and pathological veterinary know¬ 
ledge : and as something is expected from, and ought to be fur¬ 
nished by, country readers, I transmit the following case of 
thoracic disease. My patient was a large fat heifer, 4 years old, 
the property of Earl Fitzwilliam, of Wentworth, Yorkshire. On 
the 8th of June, 1829, I found her labouring under disease, and 
manifesting the following symptoms : a dull countenance, quick 
respiration, an accelerated yet intermitting pulse ; cold extremi¬ 
ties ; no rumination, nor appetite ; bowels open. I abstracted 
seven quarts of blood, and gave digitalis 5ii, tart, emetic 3ii, 
potass, nit. ^iss, and left her in a well-ventilated loose place. 
On the 9th she was no better ; the pulse still quick and inter¬ 
mitting, appetite deficient, no rumination; extremities cold : she 
lies down seldom, and, when down, the nose is protruded. I again 
took away seven quarts of blood from a large orifice, and gave 
the sedative as before, and drenched her with gruel. 
On the mornino of the 10th she was no better, and, the bowels 
being rather inactive, I gave sulphate of soda ^vi, ol. lini jvi. 
In the evening she drank half a pailful of white water, and ate a 
little bran mash ; the bowels were gently open, but there was no 
rumination. 
On the 11th, all the symptoms as on the 9th. 
On applying my ear to one side of the chest, and using per¬ 
cussion on the other, undulations were heard ; and on consider¬ 
ing the quick and intermitting pulse, and the hurried respiration, 
with effusion in the chest, I gave up all hope of a cure, ceased 
from medicine, and had her destroyed. 
Post-mortem Examination .—On cutting through the sternum, 
there flowed from the chest no less than three gallons of serous 
fluid, very offensive. On piercing the pericardium, which was 
