SCOTTISH METROPOLITAN VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 281 
The pain is seen to be excruciating on the slightest handling or 
movement of the affected part. The pulse at this stage is hard and 
full, and the temperature about 103° or 104°. There is also profuse 
perspiration, which has not the effect of relieving pain or reducing 
fever. The bowels are generally constipated, and the urinary organs 
are in a very torpid or inactive condition. If the urine is collected and 
allowed to stand for a time, though clear or straw coloured at first, 
it will be found when cold to have deposited a dirty red-coloured 
sediment; and the vapours given off from both urine and perspiration 
will have the same pungent and disagreeable odour. From the first, 
the horse shows great aversion to assume the recumbent position, but 
remains standing still until he falls from sheer muscular debility; and, 
when once down, can never get on to his feet again until assisted. 
There is this difference to be observed in the course of the disease in 
different animals, that horses will remain standing as long as possible, 
when cows or cattle generally take the ground from the first, and 
cannot by any means be made to assume the standing position. The 
appearance of the effusions vary according to their situation, but they 
never take on the suppurative process. The joints of cattle have been 
observed to suppurate and slough, but this is due to the parts becoming 
bruised by their continual lying upon them. 
Such are some of the appearances presented by animals suffering 
from acute rheumatism in the external parts. But, as previously 
mentioned, the heart is very liable to become affected, and, when it is 
so, presents a group of symptoms peculiarly its own, although they may 
escape observation until considerable effusion and alteration of structure 
has taken place in the textures of the heart; and it is only by close 
watching and auscultation that you become aware of their existence. 
That the heart has become affected is shown by the animal evincing 
pain when percussion is applied to, and the intercostal space is pressed 
upon or near the side. There is also great difficulty of breathing and 
palpitation when the animal makes the slightest movement. On auscul¬ 
tating the chest, at the commencement of the disease, the regularity of 
the heart’s action may be little altered ; but the sounds proceeding 
from it will become abnormal, and will vary according as the pericardium 
or the lining membrane of the heart is the seat of the disease. When 
the endocardium is affected, the hard friction sound continues to the 
last; but when the pericardium is the seat of the disease, and especially 
when the disease has made considerable advancement, the sound becomes 
soft, muffled, or bellows-like. This is due to the effusion and the bands 
of lymph which are found in the pericardium. It is of importance to 
distinguish between endocarditis and pericarditis, because I am of 
opinion that when an animal becomes affected with endocarditis there is 
such alteration of the lining membrane and valvular structures, causing 
obstructions to the circulation, that it is impossible that the animal can 
ever recover to be of any use; whilst, when the disease is confined to 
the pericardium, there may be considerable effusion and formation of 
bands of lymph that may terminate in adhesion, and leave the action of 
the heart very slightly impeded. I have had opportunity of making 
post-mortem examination on three animals that had died from acute 
rheumatism—viz., one four-year-old gelding and two foals. In the 
four-year-old, which died on the eighth day from the commencement of 
the attack, besides the external effusions I found the heart enormously 
enlarged, and the pericardium distended with lymph mixed with a large 
quantity of gritty material. On cutting into the substance of the heart 
1 found the lining membrane of the ventricle and auricular ventricular 
