DISEASES OF THE HEART IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
103 
Hf 
eaker than the normal; the difference is so slight as to be 
srceptible to the experienced practitioner only. “ For practice, 
:e frequent taking of the pulse of sound horses is to be recom- 
ended.” 
The pulsation of the heart changes according to the importance 
l the defects of the valves. After quickened motion it is very 
isily discovered. The heart-beat discloses a throbbing violent 
otion to such a degree that, for instance, in insufficiency of the 
cuspid valves the first beat is felt less distinctly than the second, 
bile often the first sound predominates and the second is duller. 
: no inflammation exists, the pulsation is less and approaches the 
Drmal. 
In all serious defects of the valves a more or less developed 
irgescence of the jugular vein is present. 
Auscultation of the cavities of the heart is of special impor- 
nee. Every alteration which occurs on the valves, such as 
iriveling, shortening, growing together, thickening, roughness 
: the surface, etc., will naturally call forth a disturbance in the 
3art’s mechanism whereby the normal current sounds and friction 
urmurs also become altered. We may safely accept the exist- 
ice of defects of the valves as soon as the heart-beat and pulse 
iow a constant dissimilarity and irregularity, and if one or both 
irdiac sounds become permanently changed by murmurs, without 
»eir origin being traceable to nervous excitement or abnormal con- 
tion of the blood. 
The perceptible murmurs may be classified as follows: (1) 
allows murmur, (2) file murmur, (3) rasp murmur, and (4) saw 
urmur. 
Changes of the orifices of the heart may exist, if they are 
ight, without generating abnormal sounds of the heart; but in 
lportant anomalies of the ostia the abnormal sounds are always 
*esent. According to the intensity and change of the heart- 
unds, the abnomities may be judged. The more important the 
teration of the valves, the stronger the murmur. Furthermore, 
e rougher the surface exposed to the current of the blood, the 
irsher the sound. For instance, file and rasp murmurs indicate 
bony and cartilaginous degeneration. But since the anomalies 
