314 HYPER^MIA. 



There are instances of liver disease in the horse of pecu- 

 liarly insidious origin, and indicated by a state of obesity, 

 pallor, and occasional yellowness of the mucous membranes, 

 dulness, and very sleek skin, with occasional attacks of 

 lameness in the off fore-leg. Pulse soft, rather weak and 

 slow, numbering about 28 per minute. 



Over-exertion or excessive repletion of the stomach, may 

 give rise to colicky symptoms, or to more dangerous indica- 

 tions of internal haemorrhage. The animal falls, rolls, sighs, 

 and breathes heavily, looking round to the right side, and 

 suffering from intense cold ears and limbs. The eyes are 

 blanched, pupils dilated, anxious expression of countenance, 

 pulse small, and very frequent. The animal is restive, and 

 discharges a scanty quantity of high-coloured urine. Its 

 breath is foetid, tongue furred, and mouth clammy. In some 

 cases the paroxysms are not so severe as to cause animals to 

 faint, and a horse may stand propping himself up by the side 

 of the stall, or if moved, has a staggering gait, and manifest- 

 ing most of the above-mentioned symptoms. 



Post-mortem appearances. In the early stages the liver 

 is not changed in form, but is bulky, of a uniform, or in 

 some cases, irregular dark reddish-brown colour, and dis- 

 tended with blood. Not unfrequently in the horse we 

 observe good specimens of 'nutmeg liver/ in which there is 

 an appearance of congestion in patches within the tubules, 

 and surrounded by grey, or lightish-brown liver tissue. 

 This light colour is due to fatty degeneration of the cells, 

 which are swollen, and compress the capillaries. When the 

 disease is further advanced, there are patches of deep red 

 colour, where some capillaries have given way, and the effused 

 blood is in process of disintegration and absorption. Very 

 fine crystals of hsematine are obtained from these extravasa- 

 tions. Sometimes the liver is broken up in parts, and the 



