ON POUCHED HEART. 
53 
owing to a portion of the blood which had been poured into the 
ventricle returning to the auricle, which now seems to act as a 
safety-valve. 
There are other circumstances which may be deemed me¬ 
chanical, which contribute to this disease in fat animals, viz., a 
diminished capacity of the chest, from the accumulation of fat 
in the belly preventing the descent of the skirt (from which 
accumulation the skirt itself is not free). There is also a con¬ 
siderable deposit of fat about the ribs, and this near to their 
junction with the back-bone, so that their mobility is lessened, 
thus rendering impossible the full and natural expansion of the 
lungs; in consequence of which the quantity of blood or the 
quantity of air they can contain must be diminished. 
Now, it being necessary that the whole of the blood in this, 
the right side of the heart, should be forced through the lungs, 
notwithstanding their diminished capacity, it follows that greater 
power must be exerted by the right ventricle (in this case) to 
accomplish this. And hence, again, its thin walls suffer dila¬ 
tation. This state causes a difficulty of breathing; there is a 
jerking in the process, when trifling exercise only is used. It 
may be noticed in the fat and petted dog, where probably the 
same disease exists. With disordered action long continued in 
any of the vital organs, or organs of nutrition, a frequent con¬ 
sequence is altered structure, and this altered structure once 
produced is permanent; hence the disease of “ pouched heart” 
is said to be incurable. 
Again, when the organs of nutrition suffer from diseased 
action, as the paunch and the other stomachs from over-feeding, 
or from food which is not natural to the animal, re-mastication 
is not performed; the function of the nerves which supply the 
stomachs, the heart, and the lungs, is impaired. Like galvanic 
wires, these nerves impress their influence; they write on the 
stomachs, the heart, and lungs alike. Then is present the 
fever of digestion. The blood is hindered in its passage 
through the lungs, so an excess of carbonic acid follows, and so 
is induced its poisonous plethora. Graziers admit the correct¬ 
ness of this when they say, “ If you want to fatten an animal 
by highly-stimulating food, it must be increased by cautious 
degrees; because all such food is digested with great difficulty 
before the animal has been habituated to its use.” 
[To be continued.] 
DIPLOMAS GRANTED. 
The following are the names of the gentlemen who passed 
their examination before the Board of Examiners, and received 
Diplomas as Members of the Royal College of Veterinary Sur¬ 
geons, on the 17th Dec. 1S51 :— 
Thomas Greenltill, Ashford, Kent. 
Joshua Turner, Sheffield. 
