DISEASES OF CATTLE 101 



imprisoned gut allowed to escape, or, if necessary, the bowel should 

 be drawn gently from its position into the abdomen. The wound 

 in the flank must be brought together in the same way as in the 

 case of the wound made in operating for impaction of the rumen. 



Wounds of the Abdomen. A wound of the abdomen may 

 merely penetrate the skin; but as such cases are not attended with 

 much danger, nor their treatment with much difficulty, we pro- 

 pose to consider here merely those wounds which penetrate the 

 entire thickness of the abdominal walls and expose to a greater or 

 less extent the organs contained in that cavity. 



Causes. Such accidents may be occasioned by falling on frag- 

 ments of broken glass or other sharp objects. A blow from the 

 horn of another animal may produce a wound which penetrates 

 the abdomen. Exposure and protusion of some of the abdominal 

 organs may also be occasioned by the incautious use of caustics in 

 the treatment of umbilical or ventral hernia. The parts which gen- 

 erally escape through an abdominal wound are the small intestine 

 and floating colon. 



Symptoms. When the abdominal wound is small, the bowel 

 exposed presents the appearance of a small round tumor, but in a 

 few moments a loop of intestine may emerge from the opening. 

 The animal then shows symptoms of severe pain by pawing with 

 his feet, which has the effect of accelerating the passage of new 

 loops of intestine through the wound, so that the mass which they 

 form may even touch the ground. The pain becomes so great that 

 the ox now not only paws but lies down and rolls, thus tearing and 

 crushing his bowels. In such cases it is best to slaughter the ani- 

 mal at once; but in the case of a valuable animal in which tearing 

 and crushing of the bowels has not taken place, the bowels should 

 be washed with freshly boiled water, reduced to the temperature 

 of the body, and returned, and the wounds in the muscle and skin 

 brought together in a manner somewhat similar to that which was 

 described in speaking of ventral hernia. 



DISEASES OF THE LIVER AND SPLEEN. 



Jaundice (the Yellows, or Congestion of the Liver). When 

 jaundice exists, there is a yellow appearance of the white of the 

 eyes and of the mucous membrane of the mouth. A similar aspect 

 of the skin may also (be observed in animals which are either partly 

 or altogether covered with white hair. Jaundice is then merely a 

 symptom of disease and ought to direct attention to ascertaining, 

 if possible, the cause or causes which have given rise to it. A swol- 

 len condition of the mucous membrane of that part of the bowel 

 called the duodenum may produce jaundice, as that mechanically 

 closes the orifice of the biliary duct. In constipation there is an 

 inactive or torpid condition of the bowel, and the bile which passes 

 into the intestine may be absorbed and cause the yellow staining 

 of jaundice. Jaundice is one of the symptoms of Texas fever. It 

 may also arise from the presence of parasites or gallstones in the 

 ducts, forming a mechanical obstruction to the onward flow of 

 bile. The conditions under which jaundice most commonly calls 



