90 
PERICARDITIS IN A COW. 
could detect anything abnormal in the condition of the lungs, 
but could not. 
As she kept gradually improving for several days, I did not 
hear anything further of her until November 7th, when I was 
required again to see her, a relapse having taken place. 
There was now effusion into the cellular tissue about the dew¬ 
lap, and the muscles of the right side of the chest, opposite to 
the heart, were perceptibly shaken at each contraction of the 
heart, which was very powerful and even audible. The 
breathing was not very quick, but the pulse was between 80 
and 90. She was very weak, and had a difficulty in getting 
up when down. Would not eat anything, and was now 
reluctant at taking her gruel. The nose was also drjq the 
secretion of milk suspended, and the horns, &c., cold. The 
faeces were also of an inky-black colour, but of a natural con¬ 
sistence, which I ascribed to the Ferri Sulphas that had been 
given. Auscultation with the stethoscope over the region 
of the heart showed its action to be obstructed, and the gur¬ 
gling of water could be plainly heard at each contraction of 
the organ. The owner, the day before my visit, finding that 
her bowels were again becoming costive, had given her half a 
pint of castor oil. 
Diagnosis ,—Inflammation of the serous lining membrane of 
the heart and pericardium, and effusion of fluid into the peri¬ 
cardial sac. 
I informed the owner that I considered the case hopeless, 
and gave it as my opinion that no treatment would be of any 
avail, although she might linger on for a few days longer. 
He said he would let me know when she did die, so that I 
might examine her. I advised killing her, but he preferred to 
let her live as long as she would. On the 9th of November, 
he having sent me word that she had died the day before, I 
this morning made a post-mortem examination, when I found 
the liver, stomach, and intestines healthy. The gall-bladder 
was full of bile, from, I suppose, suspended digestion and assi¬ 
milation of food. The kidne 3 'S and all the other abdominal 
viscera were free from disease. The heart and pericardial 
sac were found to be greatly diseased; the latter was much 
dilated, and filled with about, as near as I could judge, two 
gallons and a half of red-coloured serous effusion. The lungs 
were healthy, but looked rather dark in colour near to the 
heart. The anterior lobes also contained a small quantity of 
serous eftusion. Opposite the heart, on each side the chest, 
the muscles and areolar tissue were darker in colour than 
elsewhere. There was_ effusion also into the cellular tissue 
about the sternum. 
