DISEASES OF THE HEART IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 9 
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present the course may change variously; often, after a short ill¬ 
ness, death occurs; often, before excessive exudation takes place, 
restoration may ensue in an astonishingly short time. 
In fatal issues oedema of the lungs and hsemostasia are almost 
constant appearances, owing to the obstruction in circulation. 
In cases of recovery the exudation gradually becomes dissolved 
and resorbed. As it diminishes the friction sound also disappears 
with the ruffled smoothness of the pericardial leaves. The char¬ 
acter of the pericardial fremitus is dependent upon the degree of 
smoothness and roughness of the membranes. These sounds are 
not consonant with the cardiac sounds, which occur within the 
interior of the heart; for they seem to drag after the cardiac 
sound, while the sounds within the cavity of the heart correspond 
with the rhythm of the heart-beats. The pericardial friction 
fremitus is dependent upon the roughness and friction of the leaves, 
whereby the cardiac sounds are less clear and scarcely audible in con¬ 
sequence of the exudation. The discrimination of murmurs in the 
stadium of exudation is of diagnostical value. 
Sometimes the resorption of the effusion progresses less favor¬ 
ably ; the process becomes chronic, and by slow but steady in¬ 
crease of the effusion, dropsy of the pericardium is finally devel¬ 
oped, which, associated with excessive dispnose aud violent 
symptoms of the heart, cause death. 
More frequently than has as yet been acknowledged, a form of 
traumatic pericarditis is met with in ruminants. It is developed 
by the penetration of foreign bodies through the first stomach 
into the pericardium, and produce all the symptoms of pericar¬ 
ditis. If the disease does not set in with too great severity and 
violence, as is nearly always the case after taking cold accom¬ 
panied by rheumatic affection or pleuritis, prognosis is favorable 
if assistance is near at hand. 
Although pericarditis is at all times recognized as a serious 
critical affection, its traumatic form will always terminate fatally. 
Owing to its profuse exudation, inflammation of the pericar¬ 
dium can give rise to general dropsy. Such dropsy extends to 
the thorax and cavities of the abdomen, and there produces com¬ 
pression of the lungs. The physical signs of dropsy differ from 
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