20 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS 



presence of foreign bodies or tumors in the stomach, the author proceeds 

 in the following manner: Place the dog on his back and if difficult to 

 handle, or vicious, narcotize it, and press the fingers on the abdominal 

 walls; at the same time an assistant can bring the front and hind legs 

 together, bending the spine as much as possible. This position relaxes 

 the abdominal muscles and the stomach can be easily outlined and its size 

 felt. A distended or engorged stomach can be recog- 

 nized by palpation or when the abdominal walls are 

 relaxed the stomach can be easily detected lying in 

 the umbilical region and extending under the false 

 ribs. If the distention is due to gas it can easily be 

 recognized by the tympanitic sound on percussion; if 

 the distention is due to the presence of some fluid it 

 will be indicated by fluctuation. Great distention 

 of the stomach by gas is found as a result of certain 

 poisons, stenosis of the bowels and in alteration of 

 the normal position of the stomach. Great ac- 

 cumulation of gas is seen in the stomach in gastric 

 catarrh, but it may also be present in an entirely 

 healthy stomach. The contents of the stomach may 

 feel soft or doughy according to the quality of the 

 food, and how it was prepared, w^hen eaten. The 

 normal condition of the stomach after eating is that 

 of slight distention. Pyloric stenosis may also cause 

 distention of the stomach. Tumors on the wall of 

 the stomach are extremely difficult to diagnose, ex- 

 cept perhaps in small animals where the tissues are 

 more elastic and less dense. Foreign bodies of mod- 

 erate size and of some dense structure can be felt in 

 the stomach, by manipidation. Certain foreign 

 bodies, such as needles, stones, etc., can be detected 

 in the stomach by means of Rontgen or X-rays (see description of foreign 

 bodies in the stomach) . Pain on pressure of the stomach may be produced 

 by manipulation, but it is not always present; it may be noticed in acute 

 gastric catarrh, toxic gastritis, infectious hemorrhagic gastro-enteritis. 

 It must be remembered, however, that it is only the filled or distended 

 stomach that can be felt, due to the lobe of the liver lying between the 

 stomach and the abdominal wall and pain on pressure may indicate some 

 disorder of the liver and not of the stomach. Consequently, in making a 

 diagnosis we must include other observations, particularly an examination 

 of the contents of the stomach. 



We can obtain the contents of the stomach either by the substance 

 which the animal may vomit itself or by means of the stomach- 



FiG. 10. — Stomach-pump. 



