DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 155 



SALIVARY CALCULI. 



These are small concretions of earthy and organic matter 

 usually around some foreign body (a grain of oats or barley, or 

 a particle of sand) which has accidentally entered the canal. 

 They obstruct the ducts and give rise to the feeling as of a 

 tense elastic cord extending round the border of the lower jaw 

 and upwards on the side of the cheek, or forward along the 

 inner side of the jaw-bone. The pea-like concretion may be 

 felt at the anterior end of the cord, and if there is more than 

 one they may be made to rattle on each other. Sometimes 

 matter forms and bursts, and the concretion may be felt in the 

 depth of the wound. Difficulty in chewing and swallowing, 

 and indigestions arise from the lack of saliva. 



Treatment. — Pass the calculus onward to the mouth by 

 manipulation with the fingers, or, this failing, lay open the duct 

 and extract it from within the mouth if possible. If it must be 

 opened through the skin, first shave the part, make a small 

 incision with a sharp knife, extract the mass and cover the 

 wound with layer after layer of collodion, allowing as little 

 exposure to the air as possible. Allow no food whatever for 

 twelve hours, and then only soft mashes and gruels until healing 

 is completed. 



SALIVARY FISTULA. 



This is found wherever a wound penetrates a duct of any of 

 the salivary glands. It is especially liable to occur from opening 

 abscesses in strangles and from wounds about the lower jaw. 



Symptoms. — A free discharge from the wound during feeding, 

 of a clear, slighUy glairy liquid, especially abundant where the 

 food is dry and fibrous. Chewing is slow, difficult, and carried 

 on on the opposite side of the mouth only. Digestion and 

 general health are gradually impaired. 



Treatment. — If recent, shave the edges of the wound, bring 

 accurately together and cover with collodion, layer after layer, 



