HYPERTROPHY AND DILATATION OF THE HEART. 693 
the abdomen, I proceeded to search for the stomach—the 
intestines not bearing any marks of disease. When this 
viscus was opened, my nasal organ warned me of the presence 
of something medicinal. I found traces of newspaper and 
other materials, which led to the belief that some other person 
had been doctoring. In all probability, however, I should 
never have known anything of this, had I not been possessed 
of good olfactory nerves. The owner explained all to me 
subsequently. 
The cuticular coat of the stomach was eroded, presenting 
a similar condition to that which is found after the inroads 
of bots. The liver was pale and soft. Both kidneys were 
soft, and their pelvic cavities contained a large quantity of 
purulent-like matter. These organs to all appearance had 
not secreted much urine for some time, as the bladder was 
empty. Two lymphatic glands, one on either side of the 
groin, as large as the testicles of a full grown horse, existed, 
and were full of purulent matter. Portions of the lungs were 
emphysematous. The heart was the last organ examined. 
It was nearly double its natural size, and both auricles and 
ventricles were full of black blood of the consistence of 
treacle. The right auricle was very much dilated, and the 
pulmonary artery was so large that I could pass my fist into it. 
Its coats also were thin. The blood in every part of the body 
was of the same dark hue and consistence. 
Dr. Russell was informed by me, before the examination, 
of what 1 anticipated finding ; and after the autopsy was con¬ 
cluded, he paid me a high compliment; observing he never 
had witnessed the heart and blood of the horse in such a 
state before, and that my view of the case from the very first 
was highly satisfactory. 
In the year 1845 I was fortunate enough to see a few cases of 
dilatation of the heart, some of which will be found recorded 
in the Transactions of the Veterinarian Medical Association for 
that year. From that period to the present I have met with a 
great many such cases, and have invariably found the symp¬ 
toms as mentioned in this narrative to be present. Treatment 
will sometimes prove beneficial when the animals have youth 
on their side. 
Blindness is also a symptom often observed in some stages of 
the complaint. This 1 have witnessed in horses, and also in 
ruminants, as well as in canine animals. Another charac¬ 
teristic of heart disease is that of the animal maintaining the 
standing posture, seldom lying down. 
