572 Peritonitis. 



Sendrail & Cuillc. This iuvolves the insertion of a i)iece of the great omentum 

 measuring about a hand 's lireadth between the oblitiue muscles of the abdominal 

 wall, thus establishing a collateral outflow from the portal system into the general 

 circulation. Satisfactory results were obtained in three cases treated in this way. 



Literature. Albrecht, W. f. Tk., 1905, 725.— Brusasco, Med. Yet., 1886, 1.— 

 Frohner, Monh., 1908, XIX, 128.— Grav, J. of Comp. Path., 1894, 375.— Hajnal, 

 Vet, 1900, 65.— Hamburger, D. Z. f. tm., 1894, XX, 113; Z. f. Tm., 1899, J II, 

 36.— Joachim, Miinch. m. W., 1903, 1915.— Lucas, Z. f. Flhvg., 1907, XYII, 269.— 

 Muller, S. B., 1892, 25.— Sendrail & Cuille, Eev. A'et., 1906, 141, 357.— Storch, B. 

 t. W., 1902, 679.— Suflfran, Eev. Vet., 1909, 474.— Willach, D. t. W., 1899, 99.— 

 Wohlmuth, T. Z., 1904, 305; 1906, 8.— Woodward, O. M., 1906, 219 (Eef.). 



2. Peritonitis. 



Occurrence. Peritonitis is, as a rule, a secondary condition 

 and occurs most frequently in the horse, owing to the suscepti- 

 bility of this species to severe colic of different types. Next to 

 the horse, the ox, and especially the cow, is likely to suffer from 

 peritonitis, puerperal infection and traumatic gastritis being the 

 primary diseased conditions. The disease is far more rare in 

 the other domestic animals and in birds. 



Etiology. Apart from some cases that are chronic from the 

 outset, the real cause of peritonitis is an infection of some sort. 

 Several varieties of bacteria are capable of setting up the dis- 

 ease. The bacillus bipolaris in cases of hemorrhagic septicemia 

 (see Vol. I) is a well-known cause of peritonitis. In these cases 

 the inflammation is generally slight. The pyogenic bacteria, 

 viz. staphylococci, diplococci and streptococci and the bacillus 

 coli communis which is always present in the intestine, are fre- 

 (luent causes of peritonitis, the latter especially in cases that are 

 associated with disease of the intestine (Borszeky & Genersich, 

 Hensen). The tubercle bacillus, bacillus pyogenes, streptothrix 

 (actinomyces) canis, in some cases the anthrax bacillus, the 

 bacillus of swine erysipelas (Eiseiimann) and other organisms 

 may give rise to peritonitis. In fowl cholera the peritonitis is 

 sometimes so prominent a lesion that it may be considered as an 

 independent condition. 



Preisz records a case of peritonitis and pericarditis with local necrosis at 

 the seat of inoculation in a horse vaccinated against anthrax. A rounded or short 

 oval bacillus was cultivated from the blood which set up acute inflammation of the 

 serous membranes after subcutaneous inoculation into experimental animals. On 

 the surface of agar the organism formed rounded, flat, bluish, transparent colonies, 

 and after several weeks gelatin cultures showed bluish-white colonies and streaks 

 in the depth of the medium. The bacteria reached the peritoneum from the seat 

 of inoculation by way of the Idood stream. 



In the exudate" from a case of serous peritonitis in a horse Hamburger found 

 streptococci (Str. peritonitidis equi). The organism grew on horse serum and in 

 gelatin, agar and broth prepared from horse flesh. Intraperitoneal inoculation 

 of cultures into a horse set up serous peritonitis accompanied by fever. 



Injuries to the abdominal wall are very frequent causes of 

 peritonitis (peritonitis traumatica et operativa) if tlie peri- 

 toneum be injured, because the peritoneal cavity is laid open 



