>; c 
EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN JOURNALS. 189 
MR'' 
were observed in any of them. Even the spleen, which is said to 
he always affected in this trouble, was apparently perfectly healthy 
and showed not the slightest trace of disease. Notwithstanding 
the negative result obtained from the post-mortem, the condition 
of the external manipulations with the actual count of the blood 
cells are sufficient to establish the diagnosis. 
, 
EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN JOURNALS. 
OBLITERATION OF THE POSTERIOR AORTA IN A HORSE. 
By M. Pirl. 
This is a case of obliteration by stenosis, of the posterior aorta, 
with the continuation of the circulation by collateral branches, in 
a pony fourteen years old, which died almost suddenly after a 
sickness of a longer period of time than usual, and at the post¬ 
mortem of which unexpected lesions were found. The heart was 
considerably hypertrophied, the left ventricle especially, the walls 
of which were four and a half centimeters in thickness. The car¬ 
diac envelopes and the valves remained healthy. The posterior 
aorta measured thirteen centimeters in circumference, and was 
one-half centimeter thick in its walls. These dimensions existed 
in a length of twenty centimeters from the heart, the vessel then 
becoming more and more retracted, until it represented a thin 
cord of the size of a small finger, upon a length of five centime¬ 
ters. This cord throughout was entirely solid, not allowing the 
introduction of the finest bougies. The arterial wall was weak 
and extraordinarily thin. Further on, the aorta was dilated, and 
its walls increased in thickness. Beyond this$ two aneurisms were 
found containing parasites, surrounded by clots of blood adherent 
to the vascular walls, which were partly calcareous. Towards the 
end of the aorta were numerous transversal abrasions of the inter¬ 
nal coat, leaving the middle layer unprotected and exposed. Sev¬ 
eral vessels, of the dimension of the carotid, escaped from the 
aorta in front of its contracted part, and carried the blood to the 
thoracic and abdominal organs, following the course of the artery 
they replaced. The intercostal arteries presented numerous irreg¬ 
ularities, and the internal thoracic, largely developed, offered in 
