582 Animal Parasites Found in the Peritoneum. 



mata occur in the peritoneum. They are practically always at- 

 tached either to the omentum or mesentery and are, as a rule, 

 solitary. The emphysematous cysts of the mesentery frequently 

 found in the jjig and due according to Jager (A. f. Tk., 1906, 

 XXXII, 410) to a bacillus of the colon group, the bacillus coli 

 hnnphaticum aerogenes, are of no importance from a clinical 

 point of view. The same condition was found by Giinther in 

 a fowl. 



Symptoms. As a rule neoplasms cause only disturbances 

 of a general nature and possibly also abdominal pain, especially 

 carcinoma and sarcoma. There is gradual wasting until a con- 

 dition of extreme debility is produced. In certain cases the 

 sjanptoms present indicate stenosis or occlusion of the intes- 

 tine, the cause of which can only be determined b}^ the positive 

 result of palpation or rectal examination. The symptoms of 

 chronic peritonitis or ascites are more valuable in this respect. 

 Chylous ascites (see page 565) in particular raises the suspicion 

 of carcinoma of the peritoneum. This suspicion is strengthened 

 if a primary growth can be discovered in any other organ, such 

 as the testicle, udder or prostate. 



Treatment. In large animals and in cases where the neo- 

 plasm is situated in a part of the peritoneum accessible to opera- 

 tion, surgical intervention is the only treatment possil)le. No 

 good results are to be expected if the growth be of a malignant 

 nature. 



4. Animal Parasites Found in the Peritoneum. 



The animal parasites which occur either free in the peritoneal cav- 

 ity or in the peritoneum are of very little importance from a clinical 

 point of view. It is only exceptionally that they cause any disturbance 

 of health and their presence can scarcely ever be discovered during 

 hfe. 



The Filaria papillosa occurs very frequently in the peritoneal cav- 

 ity in the horse l)ut it is quite harmless. Occasionally echinococci are 

 found. In a case recorded by Toutey a cyst hanging by a pedicle was 

 the cause of a t\^^st. Cysticercus fistularis (Rudolph, Reckleben) and 

 the larvae of sclerostomes also occur. The latter may be either encap- 

 sulated in connective tissue or in hemorrhagic foci in the subperitoneal 

 tissue, or there may be fully developed specimens free (Kitt). 



In ruminants the Cysticercus tenuicollis, (see page 468), occurs 

 with great frequency and may cause acute peritonitis if the infestation 

 he excessive. The liver-fluke (Morot) and the Filaria labiopapillosa 

 (Alessandrini) occur very rarely. 



In the pig. echinococci, Cysticercus tenuicollis and (in America) 

 the thread-like Stephanurus dentatus are found. 



In carnivora the following parasites may be found, echinococci 

 (Railliet, Reinmann and Pecard, who in one case, found several thou- 

 sand, some free and some attached to the peritoneum), Pleurocercoides 

 Bailleti (found by Baillet and Cadeac each in a cat and by Labat and 



