54 SWINE DISEASES 



LIVER 



The liver is a very important organ physiologically, 

 and it is of such magnitude that derangement of its 

 function and disease usually result in marked metabolic 

 disturbance of the affected animal. The diseases of 

 the liver of swine have not received the attention pro- 

 portional with other diseases; in fact, little is known of 

 the pathologic conditions in the liver of swine excepting 

 those observed and recorded by men employed in the 

 inspection of meat. 



Malformations 



Malformations of the liver are not of much importance. 

 There may be too few or too many lobes. The lobes 

 may be entirely separated. Rarely, the gall bladder is 

 wanting. 



Foreign Bodies 



Several hog livers have been observed that contained 

 quantities of sand or cinders, varying in volume from 

 an ounce to a quart. These cases have been observed 

 in swine killed at abattoirs, and without exception the 

 affected animals were in prime condition. 



The avenue of entrance of the sand and cinders is 

 no doubt through the hepatic duct. Just how the 

 foreign substances gain entrance and "back-tell" in the 

 ducts to the gall bladder and from there into the col- 

 lecting cystic ducts in the liver has not been determined. 

 The hepatic duct orifice in the summit of the duodenal 

 papilla probably becomes enlarged through injury, or 

 atrophy of the surrounding mucosa, and this, in con- 

 junction with a full stomach and intestine, would facili- 

 tate the passage of the foreign substance through the 

 orifice and into the hepatic duct. The irritation of the 

 foreign substance may cause relaxation of the sphincter 

 muscles and also establish reverse peristalsis. It may 

 be possible that the cause may be due to irregular action 

 of the intestinal musculature. In all of the cases observed 

 the hepatic duct was found gorged with the foreign 



