PERSONAL APPEARANCES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 59 



a day, so does the shape of the abdomen alter. On this 

 point we may only state here, that food which is liable to 

 much fermentation, which is not readily digested, and 

 causes the development of much gas, acts chiefly in 

 causing distension of these organs. Hence it is that 

 vegetable feeders have large bellies. Continued and 

 often-repeated temporary causes may thus lead to per- 

 manent deformity. 



Any of the solid organs in the abdominal cavity may 

 from various causes undergo change in shape, and size, 

 and lead to departure from the normal form of the ab- 

 domen. This may be from an enlargement of the organ 

 in all direcfions, or from its unequal enlargement from 

 the growth of tumours in it. Swellings in the lower part 

 of the abdomen or in the groin, may be produced by " rup- 

 ture," in which a portion of the contents of the abdomen 

 is protruded through the abdominal wall where it is 

 weakest. Such swellings will increase under efforts 

 which bring the abdominal muscles into action, as for 

 example, when the breath is held and a vigorous attempt 

 made to lift a heavy body. 



But there is one condition in which the abdomen is 

 uniformly enlarged and assumes a globular form. That 

 is, dropsy of the abdominal cavity, where fluid derived 

 from the blood fills and expands the sac in which the 

 viscera are contained. In proportion as the amount of 



