The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-05-23
For The Bloomfield Times.
A Horses Pulse and its Indications.

veterinary practitioner In most diseases
he has no other means equally as good
of determining the actual state OF his pa
TENTS system, and there is nothing which
will guide him so well in forming his
opinion in regard to the necessity OF
bleeding. There can be no considerable
excitement of the system, from exercise,
intense emotion, or disease, without caus-
ing corresponding increased action Of
the heart This is ascertained by the
pulse, and the presence Of disease is thus
readily detected. The pulse may be dis
covered and counted in several places on
the horses body, but nowhere is it so cas-
lily found as upon the underside Of the
lower iaw-bone. Here the sub-maxil-
larry artery passes over the edge Of the
bone, and feels like small cord under
the skin. By pressing the fingers upon
it steadily, the pulsations may be felt
pushing their way along at the rate of
about thirty-fve to forty-fve per minute,
in the farm horse. One great advantage
of resorting to the suo-maxillary artery
to find the pulse is this that the pressure
upon the hard bone beneath enables one
to determine, not only the rapidity Of the
pulse, but also its strength and other
characteristics Fifty beats to the min
ute, when the horse is not laboring un-
der muscular or nervous agitation, consti-
tutes diseased pulse, and seventy or
eighty betrays a most fearful state of ex-
citement. Such is the case in blind
staggers In inflammation of the lungs
and bowels, seventy beats per minute is
about the maximum attained in the great
majority of cases. In health the pulsa-
tions are slow and soft, making an i'm
preston that is readily recognized when
the pressure Of the finger is applied, but
not hard and tense, by any means. But
as fever and inflammation come on, the
vein becomes more turgid, the blood be-
comes more heated, the action Of the
heart is lightencd, and the pulse increas-
ed in proportion. 1t is sometimes the
case that the blood is thick when there is
but very little fever; but the amount of
the latter is always indicated by the
quickness of the pulse. The quick,
throbbing pulse speaks of inflammation
somewhere; the hard pulse Of some
chronic or long standing disease. Some
times we find the pulse to present both of
these conditions simultaneously, and then
the case is an alarming one, calling for
prompt and vigorous measures, or death
will probably remove the necessity of fur
ther efforts. Besides the terms employed
above, there are others in general use
among horsemen, to distinguish the vari-
GUS kinds of pulsation recognizable un-
der the influence of disease. The hard
pulse is that in which the beats give evi-
dence Of powerful or over action of the
heart, but without much disturbance of
the circulation otherwise. In the wiry
pulse they appear small, as to volume,
but hard and jerking, causing great irri-
liability in the region of the heart, so
that the ventricles act too soon, before the
veins are properly filed. Immediate dan
ger does not lurk behind this, but advances
with it boldly, defantly, and with rapid
strides, indeed it betokens acute infama-
ton, especially of the bowels, or some
times Of the urinary organs. The op-
pressed pulse exists when tho arteries are
too full or overloaded with blood, thrown
out from the heart, but returning to it
with difficulty. inflammation of the lungs or
a sudden and violent attack Of pneumonia
is generally the cause of this phenome-
non, and in this case, bleeding, if not
carried to excess, will actually increase
the strength of the pulsations instead of
weakening them it will be proper re-
course in all the conditions of the pulse
thus far enumerated. Not so, however,
in the case of the weak pulse, for here
there is debility and exhaustion, and the
heart beats but feebly, while the blood is
poor and thin, as we'll as deficient in
quantity. Such accompanies all diseases
that tend to PROSTATE the system, aud at
other times may indicate the very near
approach of death. Some persons bleed
for every ailment, and others not at all
There must be discrimination in this, as
in every thing else. When the horse is
well, it is absolute folly and cruelty to
bleed, and we should let we'll enough
alone. But when the veins are turgid
with blood, and the pulse under the stim-
ulous of fever and inflammation, is hard,
wiry, or oppressed, the practitioner who
endeavors to cure the horse by means OF
medication only, generally finds himself
entirely at fault and meets with no sue
cess For the more convenient reference
of the reader, / will here recapitulate
the various states Of the pulse in diseases
with the general indications of each, and
instructions concerning bleeding.