454 DISEASES OF THE LIVER AND SPLEEN. 



Mr. Mogford, V.S., details five cases in 'The Veteri- 

 narian/ for 1832, in one of whicli its weight was found to 

 be fifteen pounds, and in another supposed to be twenty 

 pounds. Mr. Mogford also suggests a very natural and 

 facile mode of detecting such enlargements during life : — 

 Having first emptied the rectum by raking and injections of 

 warm water, Mr. Mogford passes up his arm, previously 

 oiled, and, '' with a creeping-like motion of the hand/' pushes 

 on to the colon, where the hand being perfectly at liberty, 

 can be turned to the left side, and detect any enlargement 

 there may be — with certainty, if to any great extent — of the 

 spleen. 



A still more enlarged spleen was found by Mr. Lewis, V.S. 

 Monmouth, in a fatal case of peritonitis and ascites. " The 

 spleen was enormously hypertrophied, its weight found to be 

 much above twenty pounds.'^ ('The Veterinarian,' vol. xxv, 

 p. 607.) 



Mr. Tait, of Portsea, makes mention of a case in ' The 

 Veterinarian' for 1837, in which the spleen was found to 

 weigh '' upwards of fifty pounds !" 



When from any unthrifty or ill-conditioned state of skin ; 

 from signs of indigestion or disordered bowels ; from general 

 unhealthiness and loss of flesh ; from perceptible tenderness 

 or feeling of enlargement in the left side, or any other unusual 

 manifestation, we have reason to suppose the spleen to be 

 the seat of the disease, I know of no means so well calcu- 

 lated to clear up ouj* doubts on the point as those recom- 

 mended by Mr. Mogford — manual examination 'per rectum. 



The Treatment must be altogether regulated by the view 

 we may take of the case. Should there appear to be some 

 inflammatory action going on, it will be right to bleed, but 

 not to a large amount, and to repeat the evacuation. We 

 may also purge moderately. At the same time a blister may 

 be applied to the left hypochondriac region. Abstinence 

 from labour will be required while we are doing this. And 

 after this has been done, I know of no more likely remedy to 

 work some beneficial change than mercury. I would give 

 it, as Mr. Mogford does, in combination with antimony, in 



