SECTioiir III. 

 DISEASES OF THE BLOOD VESSELS. 



1. Chronic Inflammation of the Arterial Wall. Endoarteritis 



Chronica. 



{Endoarteritis chronica deformans. Atheromatosis, Arterio- 

 sclerosis, Atherosclerosis.) 



Occurrence. Chronic inflammation of the arterial wall as 

 an independent disease is apt to develop at a more advanced 

 age; it is only rarely observed in animals, and then limited in 

 contrast to man to the large arterial trunks. Only Ltipke saw 

 four cases of periarteritis nodosa in axis-deer, which affects 

 almost all arteries of the general circulation, not excepting the 

 smallest blood vessels. 



According to an inquiry of M. Sclimidt an endoarteritis of the aorta could 

 "be shown macroscopically in 0.5% out of 2,069 horses autopsied in the pathologic- 

 anatomical institute in Budapest, according to Kitt a chronic inflammation is 

 frequently met with at the origin of the aorta of older horses. Lyding found 

 endoarteritic changes in the aortae of 35 out of 100 cattle, and out of 10 each 

 of horses or dogs these changes could be ascertained in two each. These observations, 

 and also those made by Sequens and Caparini, permit the assumption that on careful 

 examination the disease may be found more often in domestic animals than has 

 hitherto been assumed. 



Etiology. Concerning the causes of the disease nothing 

 positive is known. In a part of the cases the degenerative 

 process probably arises from an insufficient nutrition of the tis- 

 sues in advanced age. "Wliether severe exertion may be a factor, 

 by raising the blood pressure repeatedly, is not certain. 



In rabbits intravenous injections of adrenalin, continued for several weeks, 

 give rise to a Condition similar to arteriosclerosis, which however is limited exclusively 

 to the aorta. Opinions are not yet in accord, as to whether the disease proceeds 

 from the toxic action of the adrenalin upon the tissue elements of the media, 

 or from the increased pressure in the arterial system which results from the 

 administration of adrenalin (Erb jun., Kiilbs, B. Fischer, Scheidemandel, Koranyi, 

 K. Ziegler). Most authors take these changes to be arterionecrosis in contrast 

 to arteriosclerosis. In this connection the experiments of Eeinecke with barium 

 chloride merit consideration, because the same changes were produced as by 

 adrenalin, and even more the experiments of Philisophow, who succeeded in effecting 

 the same process with salts of mercury, lead and zinc, that is, with substances 

 which do not raise the blood pressure. A particular importance must finally be 

 attributed to the experiments of Saltykow with saprophytic and killed virulent 

 staphylococci, in which the changes in the aortic Wall are claimed to cori^spond 

 with those of arttriosclerosie. 



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