II 



1'KKITONKl M 



I'KH.M KV 



vboera, which in characterised by the suddenness of 

 ihf aii*rk, intense pain, incapable of mitigation 

 h\ in-.li.-nif. all at once nri-ing in NIIIH- p.nt of 

 tlif abdomen. tin' whole (if liirli -.-in liccoiiics 

 i.'ii.ler iii every pan Tliix form of the disease is 

 noenilly fatal, death n-u.-illx cnuing within two 

 .rid -iiiictime-. uithin a few houi>. Perfora- 

 li. .M of tlif -1111111 intestine. in coii-ei|iience nl' 

 ulreration of it* glands, U of not uncommon 

 mvutremf in I v phoid fever, itml some linii-s occurs 

 in pliihi-t- That n|i|uiri'iitlv u-eless structure, the 

 vermiform appendage of tlif c.fcum. i- a compara 

 tiv-lv iif.|iifiit Mwt of |M'rforation. Sometimes it 

 in the stomach which in perforate!. and in these 

 rtirm the patient* art- usually iiiunarrieil wnnn-n 

 (especially doiiif-tic -fitimt-i. wlio may have pre- 

 Mou-lv appcan-d in good lioalth, nr at mo-t liavi> 

 i-oin|.].iiiifd of -light i|y-|icpsj:i. 



At tin- onset of tlif di-ea-c it is not always easy 

 l<> di-lingui-h it fnim Colic (q.v.l. lint the progress 

 of the cave will noon settle the question, With 

 tin- \<-i-|iiiun. tin- only disease with which peri- 

 kmitu U likfly to be confounded liy the well- 

 educaud practitioner U a peculiar form of hysteria ; 

 but the age ami M*\ of the patient, the presence of 

 hvsteria in other forniH, and the general hi-toi y <if 

 toe patient ami of her symptoms will almost always 

 lout to a correct diagnosis of the disease. 



The treatment of a case of jieritonitis must depend 

 upon the cause to which it is due. Perfect n-t in 

 bed U eMeiitial. In the- great majority of cases 

 opium should he given in full doses, to allay pain 

 and keep the Uiwels at rest Hut in some, par- 

 ticularly thiixe following surgical operation* on tlie 

 female generative organs, tin- opposite plan, treat- 

 ment by saline purgative*. introduced by I.awson 

 Tait, give* excellent result*. The diet must 1* light 

 and fluid ; in <-H - of |M'rf<iration of the stomach 

 no ic.nl or even drink must In- given by the mouth. 

 Light poultice*, or hot fomentations, -Imulil he 

 .,1,, tnntly npplie.1 to the alxlomen ; lches are 

 iMimi'tiiiiiv iivful. In c&MeK <if perforation from 

 dineaw or injury, and of siippurative |H'ritonitis, 

 life luu frequently heen saveil during recent years 

 h\ piiiuipt -iii^i.-.tl intvifen-nce. 



I linmir f'rnluHitiM iMvurs in two forms, which 

 differ in their origin and decree of fatality, hut are 

 vanr similar in their -ymptoniH. In the lintt th 

 inlUmiimtioti i- of tl ..... nlinary rharacter, and, 

 IllKMt^h the iliM'u-c -oinetimeM originates spun 

 ' it i mo finu'iulj ih ..... ,,.] ,,i .,,, 



UBperfecUy cum) a<-uie minek: in the wM-ond it 

 drppniU U|HI tiilvieiilar inllammation. and is 

 genermlly met with in |H.|^,H, ,,f a scrofulous con 

 titnlioii Thf -\ mpt'i MI- ( ,f chronic |>eritoiiitis mi- 

 morv MMH than tltone of the a<-iite form. There 

 Uahdominal )*in. often slight, mid not ulwn 

 Unt. winch i. increwnl by iiniwiire, or KMneiimM 

 i. felt onlj when pi,.,iri' is ma<le. The paii.-nt 

 nmipUimi of a wniAtion .if fullnow. and tension of 

 UM belly. aJtlKMigh it- -!/. i- not i-il,|y nicreaned; 

 of a low of appetite ; and of nausea anil vomit my : 

 and (he l.iweU are usnally more or les out of 

 ortor. Aft-r a time the alslomen enlarges, and 



W'"*' tvni|i<uiilic. or more or Inss lill.-.l with 

 : and death gradually enum fnim dfhility 



ii. nnlrm the fatal issue i 



by an arU inflammatory attack. It is not always 

 ev I., d-lermlne. .lurm- |,,... |,.., |,,. r ,| M . disraie 

 - l.i the t.i.i .., ..,-,,,,.1 f,.rni. \Vh.-ii ils 

 artgin rmnn.il he traml LIB pmrmling acute attack 

 \f> \>x*\ a h.1. ,,,,, I innirj. .., to chronic alfectiona 

 ..f thf nUlmiiinal viwra. them is strong reason to 

 Mfarv* it l.i ) of the tulierriilar fort 

 if lli^ general nm>titnlion ami the hereilitji 

 *'>" * UK patient |,int in the same direction. 



iJllle can he done in the way of medical treat- 

 Mcnt. wpwially la tb* tatwrcalar fonn, further 



than mitigating the most distiessing symptoms, 

 and (Missililv retarding the linal issue, though 

 ieeo\ery sometimes follows the continuous applica 

 tion of mercurial liniment. In chronic, even tubt-i 

 ctilar |ieiitonitis. however, as in the acute di-. 

 surgical interference, either by aspiration or by free 

 o|M'iiing of the alidoniiiial cavity, has gives TW] 

 encouraging results in many coses. 



Periwinkle ( Vinca), a genus of plants of the 



natural order Apocvtiaccie, having a 5-cIeft calyx, 

 .end a salver shaped corolla bearded at the ihroat. 

 with live obliquely truncated segments. The lenv .-. 

 are opjMisite and evergreen : the (lowers grow singlv 

 or in pairs from the axils of the leaves. The 

 Lesser Periwinkle ( V. minor), a native of many 

 parts of Europe and of the southern parts of 

 llrilain. growing in WIMM|S and thickets, is a half- 

 shrubby plant with trailing stems, rooting at their 

 extremities, ovuto lanceolate leaves, and pale-blue 



sometimes white or reddish-purple salvor shaped 

 flowers. The Greater Periwinkle ( V. ;/'../ i. 

 which has much larger (lowers and ovato cordate 

 leaves, is a native of the south of Kmopc. and is 

 found in a few places in the south of England. 

 Both of these species are very commonly planted 

 in shrubberies and gardens, rapidly cover unsightly 

 objox-ts with pleasing green Foliage, and produce 

 their lieaiitiful (lowers at almost all seasons of the 

 year, even in winter when the weather is mild. 

 The Herbaceous Periwinkle ( V. herbacea), a Hun- 

 garian species, is remarkable for the abundance of 

 its (lowers. The Yellow Periwinkle ( V. lulea) in 

 a native of the southern parts of North America. 

 The liose coloured Periwinkle ( V. rosea), a native 

 of Madagascar, is a favourite hothouse plant. 



Periwinkle (Litturiini), a genus, of marine 

 ( !asteropods, represented by several species on 

 British coasts. The commonest, Liltorina /itt<n-m. 

 is abundant between tide-marks on the rocks, and 

 is often collected and used for food. It is iNiilud in 

 its shell, extracted as eaten, and is very palatable. 

 Periwinkles crawl about under water, hut usually 

 remain passive when left uncovered by the tide. 

 Without water they can survive for many hours. 

 and they an- also able to endure a considerable 

 freshening of the suit water. They feed on sea- 



w Is, and are often useful in keeping l>eds of 



from iM-ing smothered. Periwinkles 



young oysters 



drawn up from 70 to 80 fathoms were lirst in !>'' 

 used as bait for cod.lishing on the banks of New 

 toiindland. The edible species is oviparous, but in 

 /,. rni/i.i, which is usually common nearer high- 

 water mark, the young are batched and have a, 

 bard shell before they leave the mot her. Th.-s,- 

 shells are apt to make this periwinkle gritty, and 

 therefore it is not used as food. Among the 'struc- 

 tural characters of the periwinkle the substantial 

 shell of few whorls, the closely-lilting, horny oper 

 culiirn, the nearly circular shell aperture without 



any siphon notch are at on. vident. Species of 



Lit tonna occur on almost all coasts, and there are 

 MMMt half a hundred in all. It should be care 

 fully noticed that the periwinkle is often called 

 the \\ilk. \Vnlk. or Whelk in Scotland, hut it is 

 not nearly related to the true whelks (Purpura, 

 Hiiccinum. \c. ). See \VljKl.K. 



Perizzlles. the Canaanitea of Galilee. 

 PAU.SIIM . Vol. VH. p. 712. 



Perjury is the crime committed by one who, 

 when giving evidence on oath as a witness in a 

 conn of justice, or In-fore some constituted authority 

 of the same kind, gives evidence which he knows 

 to lie false. Hut. i,, order to make the giving of 

 false i-videncc a crime, the evidence must lie ma- 

 terial -i.e. it must affect the decision of some 

 question Wore the court. If the falsehood occurred 

 u to some trifling or immaterial fact no crime is. 



