496 Veterinary Medici7ie. 



lungs. In the two last named disorders, the affection takes place 

 by the simple transference of detatched clots to the liver to block 

 its arteries or capillaries. Or it may be that micro-organisms are 

 transferred in the same way. With modern views of suppuration 

 the presence of the pyogenic organisms must be conceded. 



LesioJis in the horse. Cadeac distinguishes the different types 

 of hepatic abscess as : ist biliary abscess in which suppuration 

 commences in the interior of the biliary ducts and usually from 

 parasites or mechanical irritants introduced or from calculi or 

 concretions formed within them : tliese rare abscesses contain 

 biliary salts, pigments, and epithelium and acquire the size of a 

 pea or hazel-nut : 2d Metastatic abscesses which start in the ar- 

 terial, portal, or capillary vessels, by the arre.st of infecting clots, 

 which determine a further clotting, the oljstruction of the vessel, 

 the accumulation of leucocytes and the formation of abscess of the 

 size of a pin head or larger up to a hen's egg, surrounded by a 

 haemorrhagic infarct softening in the centre : these are numer- 

 ously disseminated through the liver : jd Mechanical Abscess due 

 to the penetration of foreign bodies or parasites : 4th Infection as 

 in strangles. These may attain a large size, cause adhesion to ad- 

 jacent organs, and rupture into the cliest, the colon, stomach or 

 peritoneum. The pus may even escape externally through the 

 right hypochondrium. 



Symptoms in the horse. These are always obscure and vary 

 much with the source of the malady. If there has been a pre- 

 existing hepatic malady the symptoms of that will be in evidence ; 

 if an omphalitis its existence ma}"^ still be recognizable ; if pul- 

 monar}^ or cardiac disease, that may be detected ; if parasites, evi- 

 dence of their existence may perchance be found ; if gall stone, 

 a previous violent hepatic colic with icterus may have occurred ; 

 and if intestinal septic disorder, there may be the testimony of in- 

 testinal troubles. The more diagnostic symptoms are a fever of 

 a remittent type, one or several violent shivering fits, a marked 

 jaundice which like the fever shows exacerbations, and a similar 

 irregularity of the condition of the urine which ma}- be succes- 

 sively of a dark brown, a deep yellow, and a transparent amber 

 color. Tenderness and griniting on percussion of the right 

 hypochondrium would be an additional aid in diagnosis. 



Treatment. Death has been hitherto considered as the in- 



