DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



155 



The intensity of the sounds corresponds to the intensity 

 of the bowel movements, and we distinguish lively, weak, 

 hardly audible, short and prolonged sounds or noise. 



None of the intestinal sounds are continuous, they are 

 always interrupted by quiet intervals, but in healthy animals 



Fig. 37. 



Dorsal and Ventral limits of area of percussion. — - — Attachment of diaphragm 



to ribs. Coec. Coecum. v. c. Ventral fold of the colon, 

 d. c. Dorsal fold of the colon. 



these intervals are never long. Practice in ausculta'tion is of 

 course necessary to enable us to judge correctly. 



In disease quantitative as well as qualitative deviations 

 from the normal occur. The sounds may be absent altogether 

 in certain regions, e. g., the small intestine may have a lively 

 peristaltic motion while the large intestine remains at rest. 

 Intestinal sounds are reduced or diminished: 

 1. In impaction, constipation and tympanitis, a paralytic 

 condition resulting from overdistention and overloading 

 (colic). 



