302 Acute Dilatation of the Stomach of the Horse. 



tonitis can be observod (listinctly. Fiebiger saw additional 

 symptoms of empliysenia of the skin due to a tear into the parie- 

 tal layer of the peritoneum. 



Pecus claims that rupture of the stomach is announced by a peculiar sharp 

 neighing with subsequent vomiting and the expulsion of the gastric contents 

 through the nose. (It is probable that reference is here made to the peculiar 

 squeaking sound not infrequently heard in horses during a convulsive contraction 

 of the abdominal Avails in vomiting; but rupture of the stomach does not neces- 

 sarily follow the former ) 



Rupture of the diaphragm is announced by the s^^nptoms of 

 collapse and increased difficulty of respiration, also by a tym- 

 panitic or metallic sound on percussion, which changes from 



Fig. 35. Sediment of the intra-abdominal fluid in rupture of the stomach, a, 

 large, c. small granules of starch of cereals and leguminosae ; b. starch granules of 

 oats; d. sarcinie ; e. white, f. red, blood corpuscles, the size of which varies very 

 much according to the concentration of the gastric contents; g. plant fibers; h. bacilli; 

 i. cocci. 



time to time, but is usually found over the left side of the thorax ; 

 or, on the contrary, by a circumscribed dulhiess behind the car- 

 diac region. Exceptionally the diaphragm is pushed forward 

 by the much dilated stomach; the latter together with the dia- 

 phragm then comes in contact with the thoracic wall and a tjTU- 

 panitic sound is heard behind the cardiac region in spite of the 

 fact tliat there is no rupture of the diaphragm. Death gener- 

 ally follows soon, but there are exceptional cases ; the animal re- 



