GENERAL EXAMINATION " 5 



diseases where there is a great accumulation of blood in the head, as in 

 acute hypcrsemia of the brain and inflammation of the brain. In the 

 latter case the redness of the mucous membrane is lighter in color or 

 more of the arterial tint. A yellow color (icteric) generally denotes some 

 disorder of the liver, such as gastro-duodenal catarrh, causing a swelling 

 and obstruction of the ductus choledochus; occasionally, from calcareous 

 deposits or foreign bodies in the bile-ducts or the presence of tumors that 

 press on the bile-ducts. In rare instances these yellowish discolorations 

 may be due to disturbances of the liver cells, or from such poisons as 

 phosphorus and, in extremely rare cases, from mycotic meat poisoning 

 and infectious diseases. The icterus which appears in phosphorus poison- 

 ing is due to biliary engorgements, and decomposition of the blood. 

 Various spots or red patches known as petechial spots are seen on the 

 mucous membranes of the head. These are a valuable aid to diagnose 

 certain internal diseases, such as phosphorus poisoning, scurvy, meat 

 poisoning, and in septicaemia. 



The nasal and buccal discharges are treated fully under the head of 

 Examinations of the Digestive and Respiratory Apparatus. We will 

 only consider here such discharges from the eye as seen in very sick 

 animals and are due to acute febrile disturbances. In some cases the pad 

 of fat that fills the posterior part of the orbital cavity is very rapidly 

 absorbed and the eye has a sunken look; the fever may produce an irrita- 

 tion of the mucous glands surrounding the eye and cause the accumula- 

 tion of a profuse mucous discharge, varying in color from gray to grayish- 

 yellow, seldom pure yellow. This accumulates about the corners of the 

 eyelids, or may even close and glue up the eyelids entirely; this is not a 

 symptom of true conjunctivitis, but some acute disorder involving the en- 

 tire system. For further information see chapter on Diseases of the Eye. 



SKIN AND SUBCUTANEOUS MEMBRANE. 



The skin presents a number of conditions which are diagnostic. 

 Of course, there are a number of local diseases of the skin which are 

 treated in detail in section on Skin Diseases. The skin-changes in color are 

 seen mainly on the belly and inner fascia of the thigh; a reddened or 

 slightly yellow color is to be classed under the same head as if it had been 

 present on the mucous membrane; that is, if the skin is very red it indi- 

 cates a high temperature or the commencement of some sympathetic 

 skin eruption; or if it is yellow it indicates some disturbance of the liver or 

 portal system. In cases of distemper we often see a pustular eruption on 

 the abdomen and inner fascia of the thigh (the exanthema of distemper — 

 dog-pox) ; this is a very prominent diagnostic symptom of the disease. The 

 skin of a sick dog is very dry and hard, it is very hot in cases of intense 



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