of the belly, or the side of the head. The
tumefaction is at first the size of a hen's egg; not hot, little
sensitive, and distinctly circumscribed by a marked line from the
surrounding healthy tissue. These tumors gradually extend until they
coalesce, and in a few hours we have swelling of the legs, legs and
belly, or the head, to an enormous size; they have always the
characteristic constricted border, which looks as if it had been tied
with a cord. In the nostrils are found small reddish spots, or petechiae,
which gradually assume a brownish and frequently a black color.
Examination of the mouth will frequently reveal similar lesions on the
surface of the tongue, along the lingual gutter, and on the fraenum. If
the external swelling has been on the head, the petechiae of the mucous
membranes are liable to be more numerous and to coalesce into patches of
larger size than when the dropsy is confined to the legs. The animal may
be rendered stiff by the swelling of the legs, or be annoyed by an
awkward swollen head, which at times may be so enormous as to resemble
that of a hippopotamus rather than that of a horse. During this period
the temperature remains normal; the pulse, if altered at all, is only a
little weaker; the respiration is only hurried if the swelling of the
head infringes on the caliber of the nostrils. The appetite remains
normal. The animal is attentive to all that is going on, and, except for
the swelling, apparently in perfect health.

In from two to four days, in severe cases, the tissues can no longer
resist the pressure of the exuded fluid. Over the surface of the skin
which covers the dropsy we find a slight serous sweating, which loosens
the epidermis and dries so as to simulate the eruption of some cutaneous
disease. If this is excessive we may see irritated spots which are
suppurating. In the nasal fossae the hemorrhagic spots have acted as
irritants, and, inviting an increased amount of blood to the
Schneiderian membrane, produce a coryza or even a catarrh. We may now
find some enlargement and peripheral edema of the lymphatic glands,
which are fed from the affected part. The thermometer indicates a slight
rise in the body temperature, while the pulse and respiration are
somewhat accelerated. The appetite usually remains good. In the course
of a few days the temperature may have reached 102 deg., 103 deg., or 104 deg. F.

Fever is established, not an essential or specific fever in any way, but