700 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
Nothing abnormal was detected on percussion over the 
cardiac area and nothing on auscultation except the tumul¬ 
tuous action of the heart, which seemed to hang when deliver¬ 
ing the impulse. 
Jugular venous regurgitation was plainly visible when 
standing several feet away. 
The respirations were slightly accelerated and visible mucus 
membranes of a pale livid hue, the patient standing with the 
fore feet slightly extended, the head and ears drooping, the 
eye-lids half closed and assuming quite a drowsy appearance. 
She would seldom lay down. 
A diagnosis of heart trouble was made, but as to the exact 
trouble we would not say, but told the owner that recovery 
was very doubtful and would be slow if she recovered at all. 
But thinking there might be a possible chance of recover} 7 , 
the owner wanted to leave her at the hospital for a few days 
at least; so administered tr. digitalis 3 ii every six hours with 
nitrate of potash in the drinking water and gave her what 
she would eat of light, easily digestible food. But at the end 
of four days, seeing not the slightest relief except temporarily 
from quietude and seeing no possible chance of recovery, we 
notified the owner that he might just as well take the mare 
home, as we could do nothing for her, and telling him when she 
died to let us know and we would hold post-mortem, thinking 
we would get to do so in four or five days or a week at the 
longest. But to our surprise she lived till six p.m. Dec. 17th, 
and on holding post-mortem the following day at ten A.M. 
found the pericardium uniformly thickened and of a light 
gray color. The pericardial sac contained a pint and a half 
of a light straw-colored serous fluid; the cavities of the heart 
also contained almost a pint of a light yellow looking mass 
and when squeezing it in the hands it almost disappeared in 
the form of a serous fluid. The hypertrophy of the ventricles 
exceeded that of the auricles in proportion to their size. No 
other lesions were found. On weighing the heart it was 
found to weigh the enormous weight of twelve and one-half 
pounds, which is the largest 1 ever saw during my limited 
experience in veterinary practice, 
