PERICARDITIS IN A COW. 
91 
As for the pathological condition of the heart and pericar¬ 
dium, you ^Yill be able to judge for yourself better than I can 
describe it. The heart seemed nearly to fill the whole cavity 
of the chest; and so greatly was its sac distended with the 
fluid, that I could scarcely see the lungs for it. I have not 
dissected the specimen very clean, as I thought I would try 
and send it by to-night’s train, and had not time; nor did I 
inspect it very closely, but I noticed a slight enlargement of 
a fibrous sort, as I thought, over one of the ventricles, and 
when 1 cut into it a little fluid came out. If you think the spe¬ 
cimen worthy a place in the museum of the College,'! should 
be proud to see it there; or perhaps you may deem the case 
of sufficient importance to be published. 
[The specimen sent by Mr. Hulme was valuable, as show¬ 
ing the capability of an animal to long bear up against exten¬ 
sive disease, not only of the pericardium, but even of the 
heart itself. Its value, however, was considerably enhanced 
by its revealing the cause which had given rise to the 
affection. 
This was found to be the existence of a needle—commonly 
known as a, large-sized setving needle—within the pericardial sac ; 
thus adding another to the several cases which have recently 
appeared in our pages of metallic substances finding their 
way towards, or even occasionally into, the substance of the 
heart itself, without producing speedy death. It is more than 
probable that the needle had been swallowed in the animal’s 
food, and had first penetrated the coats of the reticulum in the 
direction qf the heart, and subsequently passed through the 
diaphragm and pericardium. 
It was lying loose within the sac, and must oftentimes 
have travelled over its interior, being propelled from place to 
place by the pulsatory action of the heart. It was black in 
colour, as if it had long been exposed to the oxidizing action 
of a fluid. 
The outer surface of the heart was covered with extensive 
deposits of lymph, as was also the inner surface of the peri¬ 
cardium ; besides which, the substance of the latter was 
increased in thickness so as to be not less than three quarters 
of an inch thick throughout. Its capacity also was greatly 
increased, as can be readily understood when we reflect on 
the enormous amount of serous fluid—two gallons and a half 
—which was given exit to by Mr. Hulme in making hhg^ost- 
mortem examination.] 
