92 DISEASES OF THE SOLID ORGANS OF THE ABDOMEN. 



Torpor of the Liver. 



Functional disturbances of the liver are very common among dogs. The 

 character of their food, irregularities in feeding, and insufficient exercise, 

 promote a disorder which may he termed torpor of the liver, or as more 

 commonly designated biliousness. Properly torpor in this instance means 

 a deficient secretion of bile; still the term is often used in cases "where the 

 morbid condition is somewhat obscure. Over feeding, indigestible food, 

 various irregularities, insufficient exercise, and over fatigue are among 

 the more evident causes. 



Symptoms . — Dulness of manner, offensive breath, capricious appetite, 

 whitened tongue, and at times a hot nose are among the prominent symp- 

 toms. Constipation may exist for a time, to be followed by a diarrhoea. 

 In the former instance the discharges are hard and sometimes clay-col- 

 ored ; in the latter loose, greenish, black or tarry in appearance. 



The coat of the animal loses that bright characteristic gloss, becomes 

 rougher and lustreless, and at times a skin eruption called eczema is 

 asssociated. 



An animal suffering from simple functional disorder of the liver, shows 

 no very marked symptoms; still it is evident to an observer some ailment 

 is depressing him. Under excitement his manner changes and nothing 

 irregular is apparent, but when food is placed before him, or while in his 

 kennel or about the house, he again becomes dull and listless. 



2'reatmenl. — Correcting all abuses are the first indications in treatment. 

 Food should be allowed but twice a day and then the simplest diet be 

 chosen. If the animal has been restrained, greater freedom should be 

 allowed, and exercise if necessary be insisted upon. 



Taraxacum or dandelion, it is generally accepted, has a specific action 

 upon the liver, exciting it to secretion when torpid. One dose of this daily 

 should be given, the freshly prepared extract preferred, and of it one half 

 a teaspoonful is the proper quantity. After this has been administered, if 

 the bowels are inclined to constipation, one half a teaspoonful of calcined 

 magnesia may be given with the food, once or twice daily as needed. 



That alkaline remedies have a decided influence on the composition of 

 the bile has been shown by Lewaschcw and Klikowitsch. Their experi- 

 ments were made on dogs with permanent fistulas leading to the gall-blad- 

 der. After the administration of alkaline solutions the flow of bile was 

 measurably increased. It was observed that different results were ob- 

 tained from solutions of different degrees of concentration. Thus, carbon- 

 ate of sodium had a more rapid, powerful, and lasting influence on the 

 composition of the bile than the sulphate of sodium. Solutions of weak 

 strength were more powerful than those of higher concentration. 



