280 DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 



The reported cases of venous or biliary cirrhosis, moreover, are too ill- 

 defined and too incomplete to be taken as a type for description. We 

 leave them on one side. In a similar way, apart from parasitic cholan- 

 geitis and cholecystitis, inflammations of the biliary ducts are little 

 known, and are rare. 



CONGESTION OF THE LIVER. 



In bovine pathology only passive congestion of the liver, often a result 

 of various primary affections with cardiac lesions, is well recognised. 



Active congestions probably occur during infections or intoxica- 

 tions of various kinds, but have not been made the object of special 

 research. 



Among diseases likely to produce passive congestion must be included 

 all those which interfere with the return circulation through the posterior 

 vena cava. All cardiac affections with lesions of the valves or orifices of 

 the right heart, all forms of pericarditis, tumours or lesions of the 

 mediastinum compressing the posterior vena cava, produce stasis, 

 passive congestion, and progressive development of what is called 

 " cardiac liver." 



Symptoms. The liver is considerably hypertrophied, as a consequence 

 of the stasis of blood and progressive dilatation of the portal system. Its 

 zone of dulness increases in size, whilst on palpation its borders may 

 sometimes be detected. This condition is always accompanied by 

 digestive disturbance. 



The function of the liver is more or less interfered with ; the urine is 

 scanty in amount and charged with deposit. Ascites of varying intensity 

 frequently occurs ; cardiac disturbance accompanies or usually precedes 

 the above symptoms. 



The lesions of passive congestion are represented by progressive 

 dilatation of the entire portal venous system (nutmeg liver). In time 

 this dilatation may produce biliary cirrhosis, as a result of chronic 

 irritation of the blood-vessels and perivenous inflammation. This 

 condition is known as " cardiac cirrhosis of the liver." 



The diagnosis of this pathological condition is generally easy, provided 

 that the primary disease which causes it be recognised. 



The prognosis is always grave, and the practitioner is limited to 

 treating the primary affection, such as endocarditis, pericarditis, etc. 



NODULAR NECROSING HEPATITIS. 



This form of inflammation of the liver is somewhat rare in animals of 

 the bovine species. The disease is difficult to diagnose, and is often only 

 recognised on post-mortem examination. 



