CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER. 697 



culties offered to the passage of the blood from the portal ta 

 the hepatic veins. 2. The entire class of phenomena trace- 

 able to disturbed or perverted liver-functions. 



The former are probably the more extensively distributed 

 and the more important ; the latter not always existing, or at 

 least not to such an extent as to be regarded as diagnostic. 

 Of the symptoms indicative of interference with the circula- 

 tion in the abdominal organs, the most attractive is ascites, 

 which is usually only the most extensive accumulation of 

 fluid in the state of general dropsy. 



Owing to this general congestion of the vascular system of 

 the bowels, a state of irritability of the canal may be induced 

 from the amount of fluid thrown upon the mucous membrane ; 

 or, in less numerous instances, gastric and intestinal haemor- 

 rhage may be observed. Digestion is irregular, and with th& 

 settled indications of this we have a state of steadily increasing 

 marasmus, with or without fever, and probably mdications of 

 jaundice. 



In those instances in young horses where the chronic 

 atrophy and contraction of the liver was linked with anaemia, 

 there was noticed capricious appetite, with indigestion and 

 rather unaccountable prostration and languor, in some a dispo- 

 sition to somnolency, a pasty state of the mouth, with rather 

 sour smell, mucous membranes feebly icteric or pallid, maras- 

 mus rapid, thirst great, urine variable in amount, but in many 

 of a yellowish colour. In few which I have had the oppor- 

 tunity of carefully examining did the thermometer indicate 

 much fever. In two there was an unnaturally dry, thin, and 

 overgrown condition of the coat, with distension of the 

 abdomen and distinct tenderness, on pressure, over the region 

 of the liver. 



Treatment. — It is probable that in all in which this textural 

 change is fully developed — and rarely are any seen until this is 

 the case — treatment is of little avail. 



When attempted, it is justifiable, with a correct scale of 

 dietary, to make an effort to place the digestive system in as. 

 natural a condition as possible by mild laxatives. This is to 

 be maintained for some time by repeated exhibitions of soda 

 and potash salts, as the sulphate of the former or the acid 

 tartrate of the latter. When the canal is in a fairly healthy 



