PLEURISY IN CATTLE. 
203 
for that of the chest; or, rathert, the exhalent or absorbent vessels 
of the abdomen, or both of them, soon share in the debility of 
those of the thorax. 
Curious case of Pleurisy. —Mr. Percivall relates an interesting 
case illustrative of this. A mare, in the beginning of January, 
had an attack of pleurisy, for which she was treated in the usual 
way, and which, although acute at the beginning, in the course 
of a few days merged into the chronic form of a more than usual 
obstinacy. A prodigious cedematous tumefaction, extending 
from the mammae to the front of the breast, now appeared, 
which yielded to aperient and diuretic medicines. On the 
seventeenth day from the first attack, her respiration and pulse 
became suddenly hurried, with cold and profuse perspiration, 
and she began to stagger before she had lost a quart of blood. 
She recovered from this, and continued apparently well for a 
fortnight, when there appeared a swelling on the back of the 
right fore-leg, which seemed like a sprain, and which yielded to 
cold lotion and bandaging. Nine days after that there was a 
puffiness under the jaw; on the next day but one the swelling 
returned under the abdomen, and she would frequently lie 
stretched out at full length, groaning as if gnawed by some in¬ 
ward pain. A week afterwards she was rapidly losing flesh and 
strength, and was again seized with acute pneumonia. Her pulse 
100, and her flanks heaving ; she was bled. In the afternoon 
she seemed to be relieved, but she obstinately stood up, pawing 
occasionally, and died in the following night. 
Every part of the pulmonary, pericardic, and costal pleura was 
thickened and indurated, and completely clothed with adhesions 
of effused coagula, while about a gallon of cream-coloured fluid 
was found within the right side of the chest. The lungs were 
perfectly sound, the abdomen was distended with a serous fluid 
almost as limpid and colourless as water, and the mesentery and 
mesocolon were loaded with interstitial effusions of the same 
nature. It seemed to be a disease oj the serous membranes, and 
points out the connexion of pleurisy with other serous affections. 
Pleurisy in Cattle. 
On this, although it is the peculiar form under which af¬ 
fections of the chest appear in cattle, I shall not detain you ; for 
the causes of the disease, allowing for the different habits of oxen 
and horses, are similar, and the symptoms are analogous. It is 
preceded by rigor, and by a peculiar trembling of the shoulders. 
This is the most characteristic and the most fearful symptom of 
the whole. The inspirations are short, and yet consist of two 
distinct efforts; the expirations are long, but also interrupted. 
VOL. VI. p p 
