202 TUMOURS OF THE GASTRIC COMPARTMENTS. 



Treatment. Gastrotomy should not be performed unless the operator 

 is possessed of very precise information. In such case the rumen and 

 reticulum should be emptied and the foreign body sought for and removed. 



When the symptoms strongly point to the presence of a foreign body 

 exploratory gastrotomy may be performed, but the operator will do ^Yell 

 to employ the operation only as a last resort. 



Many complications, like septic peritonitis, hepatitis, and splenitis^ 

 are practically hopeless ; but others show a tendency to recovery. This 

 is the case when abscesses form in the thoracic or abdominal wall, or 

 beneath the pleura or pericardium. The entire difficulty consists in 

 diagnosis, for when once this is clearly defined intervention is fully 

 justified. As, however, the surgical measures vary in every case, the 

 exact course to be adopted must be left to the initiative of the surgeon. 



TUMOURS OF THE GASTRIC COMPARTMENTS. 



Papillomata result from hypertrophy of normal papillae ; they 

 resemble those of the pharynx and oesoj)hagus. The growth may attain 

 the size of a fist. It often resembles a cauliflower in a^^pearance. When 

 very large, such growths may cause obstruction. A very striking illus- 

 tration of a papilloma of the mucous membrane is given on p. 180 of 

 Moller and Dollar's " Regional Surgery." 



Sarcoma has been noted by Paule, Kitt, and Schiitz as forming in 

 the subserous tissue of the omasum, and later bulging out as a wounded 

 swelling of irregular size. 



Actinomycosis of the abomasum has been reported by Professor 

 Axe. 



