692 HYPERTROPHY AND DILATATION OP THE HEART. 
bespoke debility or deficiency of arterial action. I informed 
the owner that it would be useless to keep the horse in the 
infirmary, as the disease was of such a nature that I could 
do nothing towards effecting a cure. The treatment at best 
could merely palliate for a while, and therefore I advised that 
he should have the horse home, and allow him plenty of 
grass in a paddock, but away from all other horses, as it was 
quite uncertain when he might fall down and expire. My 
advice was only followed in part. The horse was taken home 
and allowed to roam in a large loose box. 
A man upon the farm, who thought I had made a mistake 
as to the nature of the complaint, begged to be permitted to 
give a dose of diuretic medicine, as he said the horse wanted 
only to stale. This was done, and another, and another dose 
given to the poor sufferer, but they failed to produce that 
amount of micturition so much desired by the herdsman and 
his friends. 
I would here remark that there is a symptom not named 
by authors, but often present in most of these cases, as well 
as in some abdominal diseases, such as acute enteritis, strangu¬ 
lation, intussusception, ruptured stomach or diaphragm, and 
other allied affections, which pretty generally indicates ap¬ 
proaching death. This symptom consists of a relaxation of 
the muscles of the penis. This organ in death-cases is fre¬ 
quently found hanging down six or eight inches below the 
abdominal muscles, and it leads many people to imagine that 
the horse requires to stale, and that the bladder or kidneys 
are the seat of disease. I have often been annoyed by 
ignorant persons, in the last stages of an animal’s life, sug¬ 
gesting the use of urine balls/’ asserting that if the horse 
could stale he would be soon “ all right.” 
I am induced to throw in these observations for the benefit 
of some of the younger members of our profession whose 
opportunities for acquiring practical knowledge have as yet 
been few. 
To return—my patient, or rather now the patient of the 
herdsman, fell down and died soon after the administration of 
the last dose of diuretic medicine ; very much to the chagrin, 
be it said, of the party, as he was not prepared for such a crisis. 
I had expressed a desire to be sent for when this event 
occurred, as I was anxious to see whether my diagnosis would 
be verified by the post-mortem examination. Fortunately 
upon my arrival, I found Dr. Russell, surgeon, who was on 
a visit at the house, present, and he kindly lent his assistance 
at the autopsy. 
After the removal of the common integument, on opening 
