160 
FR. BLAZEKOVIC. 
for the nourishment of its substance and the maintenance of its 
functions through the arteries, originating in the aorta, namely, 
the right and left coronary arteries. The veins which carry the 
blood back are the two opening directly into the right auricle. 
Another important moment of consideration is the connection 
of the pericardium with the muscle of the heart. The similarity 
of the serous parts of the pericardium with the function and con¬ 
struction of the membranes of the organism is of diagnostic sig¬ 
nificance. 
The proportion of weight of the muscle of the heart to the 
remaining organism varies from one hundred and three to one 
hundred and seventy-one parts of the entire weight of the 
body. The heart of horses of one weight does not always weigh 
the same; it can easily vary to double its size without being 
atrophied or hypertrophied. In fact, it is larger in thorough¬ 
breds and nobler animals than in common types; a circumstance 
which ought not to be ignored in reference to the action of the 
heart. 
Particular attention should be given to the diagnosis of the in- 
terior lining of the cavity of the heart, the position and construction 
of the valves and heart valves. The continuation of the inner mem¬ 
brane, which forms the endocardium, is also worthy of attention. 
The structure of the muscle of the heart, mechanically considered, 
is of eminent diagnostic interest. The auricles, the point of attach¬ 
ment of the aorta valves, the construction of the fleshy parietes, 
as also the strong carneous columns on the partition of the auricle 
at the opening of the posterior vena cava, the tubercle of Lower, 
which influences the mechanism of the heart, are important. 
The structure of the thebesie valves is of particular importance to 
the function of the coronary veins. Furthermore, the construction 
of the heart valves in the chambers, the auriculo-venticular, the 
tricuspid and the semi-lunar valves, are to be considered, which 
in their changeable effect upon the action of the heart, are of 
vital importance. In the left ventricle the bicuspid valves and 
mitral valves, with their strong tendons, are noteworthy. 
The anatomical construction also corresponds to the function 
of the heart, whose final aim it is, on the one hand to convey 
