110 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS 



infiltration of the cells of the liver. It is hard and seems anaemic when the 

 section is made through the organ. The cells are found to be infiltrated 

 with fatty globules and the nuclei pushed to one side. 



This condition is seen in old dogs that have been well fed and had 

 little exercise, and is naturally a fatty infiltration. It must, however, 

 be distinguished from the fatty degeneration that is found to follow sev- 

 eral poisons, and in the later stages of consumption. In fatty infiltration 

 the blood of the portal vein carries abnormal quantities of fat into the 

 liver, which is deposited in the cells. In fatty degeneration the fat 

 originates in the cells themselves; this is due to the albumin separating 

 into two substances. One contains nitrogen, while in the other it is 

 absent. This latter part undergoes fatty degeneration. 



The treatment of fatty liver is the same as for any adipose condition. 



Neoformations of the Liver and Gall-stones. — The neoformations 

 found in the liver of the dog are sarcomas, carcinoma, adenoma, and lip- 

 oma. These cause irregular enlargements on the body of the liver, and 

 produce symptoms similar to those of cirrhosis of the liver. Some- 

 times large tumors can be felt through the abdominal wall. 



Gall-stones are very rare in the dog. Frohner describes one case 

 where the animal died with an icterus gravel. Immediately after death 

 he found in the ductus choledochus a large bluish-black friable gall 

 stone, the size of a pea. On section, this was brownish-yellow in the 

 centre. Parascendolo described one case where the ductus choledochus 

 was impacted with a mass of stones. The only way that they might 

 be recognized would be the appearance of icterus, from retention, pre- 

 ceded by intense colic. 



Treatment is the same as retention icterus; small gall stones may 

 be present in the gall bladder without causing any peculiar symptoms, 

 other than slight disturbance of the digestion. 



Parasites. — The following parasites have been found in the liver: 

 distoma truncatum, distoma campanulatum, and distoma conjunc- 

 tum (Ercolani). In the bile-ducts, ascarides have been found, Ercolani 

 and Lissizin found a fully developed male eustrongylus gigas and coccidia 

 (Rivolta), also the l)ladder cyst of the echinococcus. 



Amyloid and Lardaceous Liver. — Amyloid liver, as a rule, is a 

 symptom of a general amyloid condition, developed from a cachectic 

 state, from prolonged suppurating wounds or from chronic inflammation 

 of the pectoral membranes. 



The liver is very much enlarged and blunt on the edges of the lolies. 

 On section, the cut surface is speckled and grayish-brown in color. On 

 microscopical examination the walls of the capillaries will be found to have 

 undergone amyloid degeneration; when stained with Lugol's iodine solu- 

 tion, the degenerated portions become mahogany-brown in color. 



