694 HEPATITIS. 



circumscribed patches of somewtiat thickened and indurated 

 tissue observed over the surface of the gland after death, and 

 the patchy character of the adhesions, extensive and generally- 

 diffused inflammation does not appear to be of so common 

 occurrence as circumscribed. 



This condition when affecting the horse I have not been 

 able to differentiate from the congestive actions already noticed. 

 The existence of hepatic disturbance may be certain ; to 

 determine whether the gland is congested or superficially in- 

 flamed is in the greater number of cases not possible. The 

 history of the case may in some instances assist us. 



2. Inflammation of the Component Gland-structure. — This 

 form of inflammatory action we know of in the horse chiefly 

 from after-death examination ; its existence during life may 

 have been suspected, but positive diagnosis is rendered exceed- 

 ingly difiicult from its intimate association with other diseased 

 conditions more demonstrative and certainly diagnosed. As a 

 circumscribed diseased condition resulting in hepatic abscess, 

 it is of much rarer occurrence in the horse than in some other 

 animals. In the form of numerous and extensively distributed 

 small and isolated collections of purulent matter it is frequently 

 observed in pyaemia, and particularly so in foals, in association 

 with the very fatal arthritic disease so common in some districts 

 and during certain seasons. Solitary abscesses are rare ; small 

 disseminated circumscribed collections of pus are numerous. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 



CHRONIC DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 



I. Cirrhosis of the Liver. 



Nature and Anatomical Characters. — This condition, which in 

 its purest form may be regarded as a chronic or subacute in- 

 flammation of the intorconnective hepatic tissue, tending to 

 ulterior and more complex changes, is of more frequent occur- 

 rence than cither of the forms of acute inflammatory action. 

 In this we observe a peculiar, more or less distinctly granular 

 state of the true hepatic structure, with a marked increase in 



