DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 83 



There are a few other troubles that the liver is liable to, such 

 as Rupture of the Liver, Cirrhosis, Gall-Stones, Worms in the 

 Liver, etc. They are so seldom met with and so hard to detect 

 that we will not attempt here to give an account of each. 



Diseases of the Pancreas and Spleen (melt) are so rare, or 

 their symptoms are so little understood, that we will not attempt 

 to give any of them here. The spleen becomes enlarged in cer- 

 tain diseases, as in Texas Fever in cattle, but diseases of the 

 spleen are very little understood. 



RUPTURE HERNIA. 



Ruptures are quite a common occurrence among young ani- 

 mals. The most common place for it to appear is at the umbili- 

 cus (navel), and in the scrotum (bag). Although animals at any 

 age are liable to rupture from direct injury, such as kicks, rolling 

 on sharp objects, goring from cattle's horns, etc., the injury 

 may not be severe- enough, or the instrument sharp enough, to 

 break through the skin, but a breach i,s made in the muscles, 

 which lets a portion of the bowels come through the opening 

 against the skin, puffing out, forming a swelling or enlargement. 



Symptoms. The indication of rupture at the navel is a soft, 

 puffy swelling, varying in size from a pecan to that of a man's 

 head. It is generally somewhat smaller than a man's fist. In 

 pressing upon it, a little hole can be plainly felt, through which 

 the protruded mass comes. Rupture at the scrotum can be de- 

 tected by the increased size of the bag, generally at one side. 

 Ventral hernia, or rupture caused by an injury, can be detected 

 by the sudden appearance of a soft, puffy swelling in the region 

 of the belly. On examining it, a breach can be detected, through 

 which the bowels come. 



