134 



globules are deposited in the cells. These cases may be sub-acute or 

 chronic. Symptoms : The animal refuses its food, drinks large quantities 

 of water, and soon becomes greatly emaciated, but rarely hidebound 

 (although the hair looks staring and on end), and is affected with 

 a lead-coloured, exhaustive, and stinking diarrhoea. Treatment is 

 very unsatisfactory ; a fatal termination usually supervening. Chloride 

 or bromide of ammonia, with carbonate of soda, half an ounce each, 

 night and morning, may, however, be tried. The liver is liable also to 

 ruptuve. This may be occasioned by engorgement and congestion of 

 the portal vein, but in the horse it is more often due to the effects of 

 falling in jumping. As a rule, it proves fatal. In these cases, the 

 mucous membranes become pale and blanched, there is a running- 

 down pulse ; then muscular twitchings supervene, the legs and body 

 get icy-cold, and death soon follows. The liver is also a frequent seat 

 of tubercular deposits, abscesses, and tumours, as well as atrophy. 



319. Jaundice may arise from many causes, but is generally looked 

 upon as a symptom of some derangement of the liver, such as con- 

 gestion, obstruction in the bile ducts, loss of tone, and, consequently, 

 inability to secrete the bile. Congestion is one of the most frequent 

 liver disturbances met with in horses and cattle. It generally occurs 

 in hot, dry seasons ; the animal becomes sluggish, languid, and lazy, 

 drops the head, loses the appetite, but evinces no pain. The pulse is 

 full, slow, and soft, eyelids and gums of a dirty yellow or orange 

 colour ; tongue furred ; breath foetid ; bowels costive ; faeces of a light 

 slate colour ; while, in some cases in the horse, the animal goes lame 

 on one fore leg — usually the off (right) one. Cattle are, however, 

 more subject to this complaint than the horse, and the dirty yellow or 

 orange colour can be readily noticed in the corner of the eye, on the 

 udder, under the tail, and, indeed, on any white part of the skin, or 

 any visible mucous membrane, particularly the vagina. The belly is 

 flat ; the appetite bad ; and the animal rarely chews the cud. 

 Treatment : A good dose of opening medicine should be given at 

 first. One drachm of calomel, suspended in from i^ to 2 ounces 

 spirits of nitre, and a pint of linseed oil, may be given with advantage, 

 either to horses or cattle, followed up by alkaline and vegetable 



