324 Intestinal Hemorrhage. 



Microscopic exaniiuation may show the prei-eiice of blood even if it cannot be 

 discovered with the naked eye. The red blood cor2)uscles may be intact, or they 

 may be swollen, pale, broken up, or they may be entirely dissolved if the hemorrhage 

 has occurred in the anterior portions of the intestines; then positive tests for blood- 

 pigment alone can demonstrate that a hemorrhage had taken place. 



Aside from local symptoms, tlie symptoms of anemia pre- 

 sent themselves in proportion to the anionnt of blood lost. 

 (See Vol. I.) 



In a horse with two hemorrhoidal nodules of the size of a walnut 

 in the mucosa of the rectum, Utz ohserved recurrent attacks of colic, 

 with the discharge of fluid hlood or dark coagula. The horse finally 

 succumhed to anemia and hydremia. 



Diagnosis. As a rule blood can be recognized in the feces 

 with the naked eye. One may however be misled by a naturally 

 dark brown color of the dog feces; or by the brown color of 

 feces of animals which have received preparations of bismuth 

 or iron. In doubtful cases, it is necessary to resort to micro- 

 scopic, chemical and spectroscopic examinations, and to the test 

 of mixing the feces with water to see whether the latter is 

 stained red. 



The site of a liemorrnage is indicated to some extent in so 

 far as the blood is changed less, the shorter the distance it has 

 traveled towards the anus ; the presence of streaks of blood on 

 the surface of otherwise normal feces indicates rectal hemor- 

 rhage, while an intimate mixture of the blood with the feces 

 points to hemorrhage in the small intestines. However hemor- 

 rhage from the stomach may give rise to bloody feces and the 

 blood may even have reached the stomach from parts still nearer 

 to the head. It is also necessary to remember that dogs (partic- 

 ularly butchers' dogs) may have ingested the blood of slaugh- 

 tered animals or raw meat and then their feces may also con- 

 tain blood pigment; the general condition of such animals is 

 of course normal. 



The exact determination of the site of a hemorrhage often 

 meets with great difficulties and necessitates a careful examina- 

 tion of all of the organs and a consideration of the whole history 

 of the patient. The feces are not ahvays bloody in all cases 

 of intestinal hemorrhage, because the animal may either die 

 before the blood reaches the rectum, or mechanical obstructions 

 may interfere with its passage to the rectum ; these conditions 

 are frequently prevalent in thrombosis of the mesenteric vessels 

 and in hemorrhages due to intestinal invagination, in torsion 

 (volvulus) or in strangulation. 



Treatment. The treatment of intestinal hemorrhage is in 

 general identical with that of hemorrhage from the stomach, 

 and preparations of opium and astringents may be administered 

 every one to tw^o hours without any fear. Hemorrhages from 

 the posterior portion of the intestinal tract require local treat- 



