CHAPTER LXVIL 



SPOEADIC BIS'EASES— continued. 



LOCAL DISEASES— continued. 



(Q.) DISEASES OF THE SPLEEN AND PANCEEAS. 



Diseases of the Spleen. — Various organic changes, as atrophy, 

 hypertrophy, thrombosis, tubercle, cancer, the presence of hyda- 

 tids, lymphadenoma, and ossification are found post mortem; 

 but there are no symptoms during life which indicate their 

 presence. The late Mr. Walter Lewis, of Crewe, mentions that 

 in two cases of diseased spleen there was a tendency to run 

 backwards in the stall and elsewhere. I have already stated 

 that I have witnessed this symptom in disease of the duodenum 

 (see ante, page 680.) I am informed that in America the horse 

 suffers from an intermittent fever in which the spleen becomes 

 enlarged. It is stated that enlargement of the spleen may be 

 detected per i-ectum. I doubt, however, its possibility, unless, 

 indeed, the spleen be of an enormous size. In one case which 

 came under my own notice, lymphadenoma of the spleen (shown 

 in the frontispiece of the first edition of this work) was guessed 

 at by the absence of signs of disease of any other organ, slight 

 increase of the white globules in the blood, pallidity of the 

 mucous membrane, a stiffness of the back, and a gradual wasting 

 of flesh. In another case lymphadenoma of the spleen was 

 diagnosed from the history of a case which had a lymphadenoma- 

 tous tumour in the parotidean region. This animal had latterly 

 fallen off its appetite, and was subject to slight recurring colick- 

 ing pains, but there were no other symptoms of internal disease. 

 I removed the tumour from the neck, but after finding out its 

 histological character, gave an unfavourable prognosis, being 

 of opinion that another of the same nature was in existence. 



