138 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



b. Mesenteric fat tumors of immense size occur now and 

 then, chiefly in the mesentery of the large intestines, as seen 

 in Fig. 46. I have seen these mostly in Guernseys and Jer- 

 seys. They consist of great masses of necrotic fat, hard, 

 marbled, and iridescent on section. They are quite movable 

 in the abdomen. In my first case, I was greatly confused, 

 and suspected that I had to do with an extra-uterine fetus. 

 It was too far forward to permit of complete palpation. 

 There is no occasion for such error. In extra-uterine preg- 

 nancy the fetus is firmly moored by adhesions to the abdomi- 

 nal floor. While I have no definite history, my museum speci- 

 mens show the fetus, or fetuses, to be firmly encapsuled by 

 adhesions, so that they are compressed into the narrowest 

 space possible, but where and how they were attached I 

 have no history. When the examiner is on his guard, the 

 mesenteric fat tumors have in my experience admitted of 

 ready diagnosis. Their relation to the intestines constitutes 

 the chief guide. I have seen them in old, or at least adult, 

 cows only. They may be of any size. In one case the entire 

 abdomen appeared to be filled with these. 



c. Dislocation of the rumen is also a very disconcerting 

 condition when first met. In one cow, to all external ap- 

 pearances in perfect health, the rumen was extremely dis- 

 located. The right sac had glided across the abdominal floor 

 and had come to rest against the right abdominal wall, above 

 the level of the pubis. The left sac of the rumen had de- 

 parted from the left sub-lumbar region and dropped down 

 until it lay only slightly above the pubis. The massive or- 

 gan thus lay on the abdominal floor. Its normal left wall 

 had become its floor; its right wall faced upward. The 

 rumen occupied the entire abdominal floor in front of the 

 pubis, and projected somewhat above it. The soft, pulta- 

 ceous rumenal contents were readily recognizable. The or- 

 gan could be clearly distinguished and traced. The genital 

 organs, uterus, and ovaries passed directly forward and lay 

 upon the dislocated rumen. The dislocation is apparently 

 of no consequence, except for the confusion it may cause 

 during rectal palpation. 



