MORBID ANATOMY, 207 



In many animals shortly after death, besides an ill-estab- 

 lished rigor mortis, there exists the usual feature of general 

 distortion from uniform distension of the submucous and inter- 

 connecting connective-tissue with gases; this, to a casual 

 observer, is the most obvious abnormal condition. In addition 

 to this generally swollen condition we will, in many cases, 

 observe a collection of frothy rusty-coloured mucus around, 

 and issuing from the natural openings, with a red, swollen, 

 and everted anus and vagina. When the skin is cut, or an 

 incision freely made into the subjacent tissues, we have an 

 exit of gas with a hissing or bubbling noise, foetid smell, and 

 black fluid blood. 



When the skin is removed the subcutaneous connective- 

 tissue will be found more or less infiltrated with a pale straw- 

 coloured serosity ; while in patches, where the local swellings 

 or tumours, when found, have existed, the infiltrating and 

 effused material is rather more consistent and of a much darker 

 colour from the blood mingled with the jelly-like exudate. 

 The skin itself, over the tumours, is deeply stained and im- 

 pregnated with a bloody serosity, the cutaneous tissue being 

 swollen, soft, and apparently undergoing a destructive change. 

 Amongst the connective-tissue existing between and amongst 

 the muscles and muscular tissue the infiltration exists, the 

 muscular tissue being soft and dark coloured ; and in connection 

 with the local swellings this softening has, as with the skin, 

 gone so far that the cohesion of texture is largely destroyed. 



The abdominal cavity, on being opened, emits a quantity of 

 foul-smelling gas, and contains a varying amount of sero- 

 hasmorrhagic fluid. The parietal and visceral peritoneum 

 present varying ecchymoses. The intestines in submucous as 

 well as subserous tissue show patches of extravasation of 

 gelatinous, more or less coloured exudate ; this is most exten- 

 sive in their borders connected with the mesentery, and extend- 

 ing between the folds of this membrane. There are also 

 patches of dark-coloured markings from distinct blood-extra- 

 vasation, both beneath their external covering and in their 

 submucous texture. 



The glands of the mesentery are swollen and infiltrated, 

 both in their intimate structure and beneath their peritoneal 

 covering, with the characteristic exudate so largely distributed, 



