Section VII. 



DISEASES OF THE PANCREAS. 



References to diseases of the iJcincreas in the domestic 

 animals are very scanty in literature. This is in part due to 

 the fact that clinical investigation of the gland is impossible 

 in the case of herbivora and possible to a slight extent only in 

 the carnivora. The special methods of investigation that have 

 been employed to obtain exact information regarding the di- 

 gestive phenomena have not been undertaken from a veter- 

 inary point of view. It is chiefly in the horse, dog and cat that 

 diseases of the pancreas have been observed. 



Symptoms. The fact that there may be no digestive s>niip- 

 tonis in a case where there is a disturbance of function of the 

 pancreas is due to the circumstance that to a certain extent 

 the pancreatic juice can be replaced by the other digestive 

 juices and by the intestinal bacteria. Disease of the pancreas 

 may show itself in two ways. In the first place, the hydroly- 

 sis and absorption of fat is incomplete and in consequence the 

 feces contain a comparatively large proportion of fat (stear- 

 rhea). In carnivora the feces are gray in color and have a 

 characteristic greasy appearance. According to Miiller, the 

 proportion of free fatty acids and soap present is considerably 

 reduced on account of the imperfect decomposition of the fat. 

 In the second place, sugar metabolism is deranged, with the 

 resulting production of diabetes mellitus both in experimental 

 animals and in natural cases of disease of the pancreas (see 

 Vol. I). 



In certain diseases the pancreas can be palpated through 

 the relaxed abdominal wall and in such cases valuable informa- 

 tion may be gained, especially in carnivora. Nevertheless it 

 is extremely difficult to differentiate between pancreatic lesions 

 and tumors of the pylorus or enlarged portal lymphatic glands. 

 This difficulty is also present in cases where the enlargement 

 of the gland has caused jaundice or ascites by pressure on the 

 bile ducts or portal vein. 



Megnin & Nocard described a catarrh of the pancreatic 

 duct. The duct was completely occluded by a catarrhal secre- 

 tion with the result that there was a production of connective 



561 

 Vol. 2-3G 



