237 



the cause may be, often leads to very serious results in the development 

 of secondary changes in their walls. Arteritis may be acute, subacute, 

 or chronic ; when the inner coat alone is affected it is known as endar- 

 teritis. 



Symptoms. — Arteritis is characterized by a jjainful swelling along the 

 intiamed vessel, throbbing pulse, coldness of the parts supplied by the 

 inflamed vessel, sometimes the formation of gangrenous sloughs, sup- 

 puration, abscess, etc. In an inflammation of the iliac arteries we find 

 coldness and excessive lameness or i^aralysis of one or both hind limbs. 



Pathology. — In acute arteritis we find swelling along the vessel, loss 

 of elasticity, friability, and thickening of the walls; a roughness and 

 loss of gloss of the inner coat, with the formation of coagula or pus in 

 the vessel. Subacute or chronic arteritis may affect only the the outer 

 Qoat— periarteritis ; both the outer and middle coat, or the inner coat 

 alone — endarteritis ; and by weakening the respective coats leads to rup- 

 ture, aneurism, or to degenerations, such as bony, calcareous, fatty, 

 atheromatous, etc. It may also lead to sclerosis or increase of fibrous 

 tissue, especially in the kidneys, when it may result in the condition 

 known as arterio-capillary fibrosis. Chronic endarteritis is fruitful in 

 the production of thrombus and atheroma. Arteritis may be limited to 

 single trunks, or it may affect, more or less, all the arteries of the body. 

 Arteries which are at the seat of chronic endarteritis are liable to suf- 

 fer degenerative changes, consisting chiefly of fatty degeneration, cal- 

 cification, or the breaking down of the degenerated tissue, and the 

 formation of erosions or ulcer-like openings in the inner coat. These 

 erosions are frequently called atheromatous ulcers, and fragments of 

 tissue from these ulcers may be carried into the circulation, forming 

 emboli. Fibrinous thrombi are apt to form upon the roughened sur- 

 face of the inner coat, or upon the surface of the erosions. 



Fatty degeneration and calcification of the middle and outer coats 

 may occur, and large, hard, calcareous plates project inward, upon which 

 thrombi may form or maj^ exist in connection with atheroma of the in- 

 ner coat. When there is much thickening and increase of new tissue 

 in the wall of the affected artery, it may encroach upon the capacity of 

 the vessel, and even lead to obliteration. This is often associated with 

 interstitial inflammation of glandular organs. 



Treatment. — Carbonate of potassa in dram doses, to be given in four 

 ounces liquor acetate of ammonia every six hours. Scalded bran suffi- 

 cient to produce loosening of the bowels, and complete rest. Exter- 

 nally, applications of hot water or hot hop infusion. 



ATHEROMA. 



Atheroma is a direct result of an existing chronic endarteritis, the 

 lining membrane of the vessels being invariably involved to a greater 

 or less degree. It is most frequently found in the arteries, although 



