The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-23
Broken Wind.

II
The common symptoms are as fol-
lows: The act of inspiration is per-
formed very readily; but in expirs-
ton there is very peculiar double
heave of the tanks, and this is evil
IDENTIFY caused by the abdominal
muscles being called into pay.
Now, If we consider that The act of
expiration in the naturally healthy
sui. ect is mainly performed through
the elasticity OF parts (viz: the ribs
and diaphragm) in regaining their
position, it will be evident that this
extraordinary action of the abdominal
muscles must result from the usual
means being found insufficient to force
the air out of the lungs; and the ques-
ton then arises, what cause, or variety
of auses, may induce the necessity
for this appeal for extra assistance. in
the act of expiration, to this set of
muscles?
The broken-winded horse is usually
veracious feeder. but withall an ILL
cond oned. hide-bound looking ami
NAL; his coat is generally harsh and
staring; he is the victim OF indiges-
ton, and his belly is most frequently
pendant and tympanitic from tlatus
lbloatedD. The hay and oats appar-
emily pass through bad mill, for
they pass from him only half digested.
A cough is always present, and this.
indeed. the yer est apology for one; it
is so weak that if you were not to close
to the animal you would scarcely hear
it. 1t is short, feeble, and very
greatly suppressed; and gener-
ally the animal only gives one cough
at time, excepting when spasmodic
fits of coughing come on. Once heard.
it is so characteristic that no one can
be deceived in its nature, but may
safely say. when they hear such an
other. "1he horse is either broken
winded or becoming So" Attendant
upon this cough, in bad cases. is the
constant expulsion of tiatus, and some
times. under certain states of the
bowels, the fpces escape also. This
disgusting symptom is produced by the
laborious efforts of the add minal mus
cles acting on the tympanitic abdomen.
and producing weakened state of the
muscles generally, among the rest, of
the sphincter ami, which, unable to re-
sist the power of the abdominal mus
Giles in very bad cases, the anus adj
vances and recedes with each inspira-
ton and expiration, and remains par
tally open, showing the debilitated
state of the muscular fibres. The al;e
of the nostrils remain fixed. A peculiar
wheeling noise is usually heard at each
expiration, and by placing the ear at
the chest, in any region, it will be
plainly detected, and is usually dag
nostic symptom of the complaint. 1t
sounds as if the air was INSTRUCTED and
was bubbling through mucous; and
what favors this idea is, that the animal
very frequently coughs up quantity of
white mucuous which g YES him ease.
The chest afterwards looks larger in
volume. and tie ribs are plainly to be
counted. The nat ire of the double action
in breathing hardly requires description.
After inspira ion, which is perfectly
easy, there is pause. and the abdomi-
ma muscles act with jerk, and slowly
expel the air from the lungs. as if they
were pair of bellows, and then the
belly suddenly drops, and the sudden
inspiration begins anew. These symp-
toms do not always exist in equal
intensity. on the contrary, they vary
most remarkably, from being depend
ent on variety of circumstances, some
of which are capable OF explanation
while others battle inquiry. Medical
treatment, dieting, exercise, and change
Of temperature and air, produce tie
most marked effects On it; and some
times, without any assignable reason,
the most surprising changes for the bet
ter or worse take place.
AS to how far asthma in man and
broken wind in horses my be cons d.
cred anala rous dieases. there are some
forms of asthma, especially such as
seem to arise from similar causes to
broken W nd, which do bear close re-
semblance. The asthma, which COM
mences in chronic bronchitis, and con-
gestive asthma, are of this kind; but
still. in some respects they differ from
broken w nd. We must not forget that,
N man attacks of asthma are brought
on or increased by emotions of the mind
and affections of the senses; and that it
is, in many cases, with him a purely
nervous disease, no trace of morbid
lesion being found in the chest after
death. And again, that there is no
case of asthma in man that is not great
ly complicated with nervous excitement.
Now, in the broken-winded horse, We
consider the act of expiration certainly
partly spasmodical, although the ami
NAL is free from those passions
and emotions of the mind
which produce attacks of dyspnpa in
man. The broken-winded horse is af-
fected like the asthmatic man, by sud-
den changes of temperature, or states
o. atmosphere; wherein the quantity Of
oxygen in given space of air is more
or less altered; and this is the all-Im-
portant object to the suffering animal.
who is straining himself to death to
pump as much air into his lungs as will
oxygenate the blood. Owing to these
circumstances we can not draw a per-
feet line of resemblance between broken
wind and asthma
Whether broken wind is hereditary,
we think not, excepting as far as breed
ing from an animal of peculiar confor-
nation may pro uce q tendency to the
disease. There are two kinds of horses
which seem most sub ect to tone is
an animal rather high on his legs, with
his elbows and arms close together,
very narrow between the shoulders. and
W thai fla'-sided and badly ribbed up.
This animal has no capacity of chest
and room for his lungs to play, from
want of the requisite roundness oil
make. The other an NAL has a round
chest, but it has no depth, and the con-
sequence is, his belly seems to swell
ou;, and becom s pendulous, what is
commonly termed ..pot-beilied;' and
this is the worst subject of the two ioI