Acute Parenchymatous Hepatitis. 519 



used. The dose of the latter for a horse is 1 to 5 cc. of a 1 :1000 

 sohition per 100 kilograms body weight; and for dogs, 0.5 

 cc. The drugs are achiiinistered by subcutaneous injection. The 

 constipation shoukl l)e relieved by enemata, and where there is 

 great weakness of the heart, camphor and caffein are indicated. 



Literature. Bergeon, Eev. vc't., 1005, 24:5.— .Tolme, S. B., 1879, 49.— Noyer, 

 ITher Leberbliitung- iiifolge Aimioid.legoii. 1.. Pfor.l. Diss. Bern, 1904 (Lit.); Pr. 

 Mil. Yb., 1S99-1906.— Ziiiidel, Z. f. Yet.-Wiss, 1874, .307. 



6. Acute Parenchymatous Hepatitis. Hepatitis parenchyma- 

 tosa acuta. 



Tender the tenn acute parenchymatous hepatitis, are in- 

 cluded inflammatory diseases of the liver substance in which, 

 in addition to cellular infiltration and hyperemia, there is pro- 

 nounced cloudy swelling and fatty infiltration of the liver cells. 



Etiology. Acute hepatitis is rarely observed as a primary 

 condition. It is generally caused by poisonous substances or 

 by bacteria which reach the liver by way of the portal vein 

 from the intestine. Possibly the organisms sometimes reach 

 the liver by way of the bile duct. Apart from those caused by 

 defective food or poisonous plants, cases of hepatitis sometimes 

 occur in association with catarrh of the stomach and intestine, 

 but in which the liver disease is apparently primary. Two such 

 cases are recorded by Frohner in which there were no lesions 

 of any importance in any of the other organs. 



The two cases of fatal acute hepatitis described by Kas and Lipa in the horse 

 were probably cases of amyloid disease. Eobertson and others have stated that 

 certain plants belonging to the genus Senecio have in some eases produced acute 

 hepatitis associated with catarrh of the stomach and intestine, but that the lesion 

 so caused is usually in the nature of a chronic interstitial hepatitis. 



As a rule, acute hepatitis is purely secondary to some acute 

 disease. It may be seen in gastro-enteritis, or it may be caused 

 by certain poisons, lupinose, phosphorus, arsenic, etc. The 

 symptoms are generally obscured by those of the primary dis- 

 ease and consequently the clinical aspect of the condition is of 

 little importance. Not rarely acute hepatitis is set up by the 

 migration of certain animal parasites (distomes, cysterci, pen- 

 tastomes, sclerostomes). This type of hepatitis will be con- 

 sidered under a separate heading. 



Anatomical Changes. The liver is enlarged and its edges 

 are rounded. The cut surface is dull and the glandular ar- 

 rangement is obscure, but small reddish patches or dark red 

 hemorrhages may be present. Its consistency is soft and crum- 

 bling. 



Symptoms. Susceptibility to pressure over the region of 

 the liver, evidence of pain during defecation, and finally jaun- 



