PERITONEAL CYSTICERCOSIS. 485 



Treatment. The treatment must vary according to circumstances, 

 i.e., having regard to the primary cause. Ascites due to gestation, 

 which is always sUght, calls only for simple hygienic treatment ; but 

 when the disease is attributable to lesions of the heart, pericarditis, or 

 chronic affections of the kidney or liver, it is generally incurable in 

 common with the original lesions themselves. 



If, finally, no clearly defined cause can be detected, or if the ascites 

 is due to chronic peritonitis, treatment should be attempted. The first 

 step may consist in evacuation of the liquid for the purpose of reducing 

 the excessive pressure on the diaphragm and facilitating respiration. 

 For this purpose an aseptic puncture is made with a fine trocar on the 

 right side of the abdomen in the flank region, about equidistant from 

 the umbilicus and the loose flap of skin in front of the stifle. The ab- 

 sorption of liquid may afterwards be assisted by administering diuretics, 

 such as digitalis, bicarbonate of potash or nitrate of potash, and by 

 giving lukewarm drinks, tonics, etc. In Germany injections of pilo- 

 carpine have been suggested, but it is doubtful whether they have 

 proved satisfactory. 



PERITONEAL CYSTICERCOSIS. 



The above name has been given to a parasitic disease caused by the 

 infestation of young animals, such as calves, lambs and young pigs, vfiih. 

 embryos of the Tfeiiia marginata of the dog. 



Symptoms. Peritoneal cysticercosis is often of so mild a character, 

 and the number of embryos which penetrate the body so small, that in 

 the majority of cases there are no visible symptoms. It is not until the 

 meat comes to be dressed by the butcher that little cysts {Cysticercus 

 tennicollis are discovered in the abdominal cavity. 



Unfortunately, in exceptional cases it may also happen that the 

 number of embryos in the abdominal cavity is so great as to produce 

 lesions of acute hepatitis, acute peritonitis, and sometimes pleurisy. 

 These grave forms are more common in young pigs and lambs. 



The animals appear dull, feeble, exhausted and without appetite, 

 but exhibit marked thirst, lose flesh and become ansemic in a few 

 days. Soon afterwards they show symptoms of acute peritonitis, 

 with exudation of fluid, and death may follow in a week or two. 



In cases where infestation is less marked, the animals may exhibit 

 only progressive anaemia, without well-developed symptoms of peri- 

 tonitis, until death occurs. 



Lesions. On post-mortem examination a sero-sanguinolent exuda- 

 tion is seen, together with more or less numerous false membranes, and 

 a varying number of young cysticerci floating freely in the liquid or en- 

 closed in the folds of the mesentery. The cystic vesicles are spherical, 



