Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-05-18
rIIE HEART.

As stated above the heart is placed be-
tween doubling Of the pleura, and is
likewise surrounded BY membrane or
bag of its own, called the pcytcordjuia
(abOut or near the heart. This likewise
throws out a fluid, for the purposes above
eRtieRed.-EEzzIle the -pgrfCarJiium or
the heart -itseIf Hecones ghlfamed, this
secretion is much increased; and 30
much Hria accumuiates as to obstroct
the beating Of the heart. This disease
IS called drOp&y Of the HcQT1. It is not
easily distinguished .froln- infs 4mation,
of the lungs; but this is a matter of lit
tie consequence, for the treatment would
be nearly tile same in both. The heart
is the engine by which the, blood is cir
culated through the frame. It is COM
posed of four cavities twqRboYe called
auricles, from their supposed resem-
blencc to a dogs ear, and two ventricles
occupying the substance of the heart.
The blood which has circulated
through the frame, and nourished it, re-
turns 70 tie heart threlsb theEeins.-
] = !
/ It enters the auricle on the right side,
where it accumulates as in a reservoir,
until there is enough to fill the ventricle
below. The aITicIe then. contracts. AMI
throws the Blood into the. vehtriele.L L
That contracts in its turn, and drives the
blood not back again into the auFicle,
! for there is as complete a valve as that
in the sucker of a pump to prevent this,
but through an aperture thatleads to the
| lungs. The blood traverses all the little
vessels and cells of the lungs, and um.
dergoes au important change there, and
is carried to the left auricle; thence it
descends to the left ventricIe, and the
blood, by the powerful closing of the
ventricle is propelled into the arteries.
The first artery the aeTta, rises from
/ the left ventricle, and the blood by the
force communicated to ii, by the sudden
contraction Of the ventricle, and assist
ed By 4Ae elastic ppwerY6f the3 arteries
which R6eps them open and free from
obstruction, and also by the pressure of
the muscular and elastic coats, endeav-
oring 20 returE tc their former dimen-
siOns pursues its course, iilNUgtl every
part Of the frame, q ,2Nt',a,r,Ni
The heart giS subieet. 10 disease. 1t
powerfully symPathizes with the mals-
dies OF eveEyg pHrt.z 1fii llij1Fy 81 the
foot viii speedily double tiIg quickness
of the beating's or Puisations Cf the
heart It sometimes is inhamed, with
out previous affection of any other part.
/ This is not frequent but most dan
gerOUs disease, and is characterized by a
pulse quick and strong, and a bounding
action Of the hearu that may occasional
Iy be seen at the side, and even heard at
the distance of several yards. There is
aIse d ljsoular slerthes lld qutfG ss 81
eE4g hptdp the ahlhisl; ap eh-
! ergy Of expression in the COuntenance
exceedingly remarkable. epaedy and
copious blood letting viii alone avail 10
save the horse for The heart, over ex-
cited and called on to peff6r1n this
double work, must soon be exhausted.
THE ARTERIES.
! The vessels which cal4y the eblood frOni
the lieaat afe called arteries, (bceptag
air, the amcients thought that they oon-
tanned air.. They are composed Of three
coats; the outer or elastic is that by
which they are enabled to yield to the
gIlsh. Of blood, and enlarge their dimen-
sions rs it is forced along them, and by
which also they contract againas soon
as the gIIsh Of blood has passed the
middle coat is the musculari by which
this contraction is more powerfully per-
formed, aud then urged on in itscoHrse ;
the iHlar9E hea3hranQus oaaA is -bhe
mere lining of the tube
This yielding ofIthe artery to the gush
of blood, forced into it by the contrac-
ton Of the heart, constitutes
..uf THE Pulse. ut f.Hth
The pulse is a very useful assistant to
the practitioner Of human medicine, and
much more so to the Veterinary Sur
geOn, whose patients cannot describe
either the seat or degree Of ailment or