WORMS IN THE INTESTINES. 183 



PERITONEUM. 



This portion of the contents of the abdomen is composed of 

 cellular tissue, and amply supplied with absorbent vessels ; its office 

 is to separate the different viscera from each other, to envelop them, 

 and to attach them to, and support them in their proper position. 

 It is subject to attacks of inflammation, technically termed 



PERITONITIS, 



th symptoms of which closely resemble those of splenitis ; and the 

 causes too are very similar, being chiefly improper food, repletion, 

 or exposure to extremes of temperature. Oleaginous purgatives 

 are here the only ones which are admissible, and emollient clysters ; 

 great attention must also be paid to the diet, and nothing of an 

 acrid or indigestible nature given to the animal. This disease is too 

 often fatal, gradually wasting away its victim. The post-mortem 

 appearances are as follows : the intestines have become so adherent 

 to each other that it is scarcely possible to believe that any false 

 membranes were ever interposed ; the peritoneal surfaces present 

 evidences of inflammation, and are often covered with confluent 

 ulcerations resembling those seen in glanders of the horse ; there is 

 considerable inflammation of the muscular coat of the intestines, and 

 the whole of these parts are thickened and corrugated. 



WORMS IN THE INTESTINES. 



These entozoaria are very troublesome in swine, and often exceed 

 ingly fatal. The spiroptera strongylina is of the kinds most con> 

 mon to the hog, but the ascarides tcenia and eckinorhinc are likewise 

 often found in considerable numbers. 



The presence of worms may be inferred when the animal eats 

 voraciously and yet continues lean and out of condition ; coughs, 

 runs restlessly about, uttering squeaks of pain, becomes savage, 

 snapping at his companions, and destroying all rabbits and poultry 

 that come in his way. The excrements are generally hard and 

 highly-colored, the eyes sunken, the animal becomes daily more 

 debilitated, and frequent attacks resembling colic tend still further 

 to weaken him. Too often he dies ; for before these symptoms 

 have been noticed the evil has generally attained to such a height 

 as to be beyond the power of medicine ; for these parasites, and the 

 echinorhinc especially, multiply with incredible rapidity. 



Drastic purgatives constitute the most efficient means of combat- 

 ing worms ; but they must be cautiously administered, as they are 

 but too apt to dissolve and force away with them the lining mucus 

 of the intestinal canals. Turpentine is exceedingly destructive to 



