THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 129 



casionally attains an enormous size, but in the present state of 

 our knowledge on cattle pathology, I am induced to believe that 

 it would be almost impossible to furnish symptoms which shall 

 clearly indicate the presence of disease in the pancreas. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE SPLEEN. 



The spleen is commonly known as the " melt," it is a lengthy 

 dark colored gland, situated on the left side, attached to the 

 anterior part of tha rumen. It is composed of a congeries 

 of bloodvessels united together by cellular tissue ; its artery is 

 derived from the coeliac axis, and is termed splenic artery, and 

 the veins of the spleen terminate in the vena portae — the great 

 vein of the liver. Very little is known of the function of this 

 gland, except that through its extraordinary distensibility it 

 serves as a diverticulum, to relieve the liver when it is congested 

 or when an obstruction to the flow of blood through the liver, 

 heart, or digestive viscera exists. 



Carpenter says, that the spleen has been repeatedly removed 

 without obviously injurious consequences ; whenever it appears, 

 either that its function is not of vital importance, or (which is 

 more likely) that it is discharged by some other organ in its 

 stead. In some instances in which animals have been allowed 

 to survive after removal of the spleen, the lymphatic glands 

 of the neighborhood have been found greatly enlarged and 

 clustered together, so as nearly to equal the original spleen in 

 volume ; and hence it appears, that the function of the spleen 

 corresponds to that of- the lymphatic glands. 



The spleen is subject to various diseases, known as imflam- 

 mation, hypertrophy, ossification, hydatids etc ; but the symp- 

 toms are of such an obscure character that it would not be 

 worth while in a work like this to discuss them. 



" Prevention is cheaper than cure ; " as the disease is ob- 

 scure, the skill of the practitioner can be of little avail, therefore 

 the husbandman should endeavor to prevent a malady which 

 is apt to end in death. Inflammation and engorgement of the 

 spleen, generally occurs in cattle that have been highly fed, a 



