148 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



the lobules and bile ducts. Then absorption of the bile takes place 

 and we get a jaundiced condition. 



Post Mortem. — In passive and biliary congestions the liver 

 is darker than normal, — in streaks or in spots, usually in streaks. 

 There are fine yellow markings. These are the surcharged bil- 

 iary ducts. 



Semeiology. — Listlessness is an important symptom. In ac- 

 tive congestion pressure over the region of the liver will often 

 cause pain. The horse or other animal will try to get away from 

 one. Jaundiced mucous membranes are a sign ; feces are usually 

 dry, or after a period of constipation there may be a slight diar- 

 rhoea; mouth coated and has a soapy feel and a sour smell. In 

 bad cases the animal grinds his teeth. In chronic cases the ani- 

 mal is hungry for salines. He will eat dirt, lick the wall, and 

 chew the manger. Pulse and temperature will not vary much 

 from the normal, unless the trouble is secondary to some other 

 disease. In bad cases the appetite is poor and the animal gets 

 unthriftv. 



Treatment. — Treat according to the cause. If the hepatic 

 disturbance is secondary to some other disease, treat the original 

 disease. If the original trouble is in the liver, let the treatment 

 center there. In case of a fat horse, let him fast. Give him a 

 purgative, calomel and bicarbonate of soda. When you get re- 

 sults from these begin on some acid mixture, nitric acid. If 

 there is no anaemia, give sulphate of soda night and morning for 

 a week or two and regulate the diet and exercise. 



HEPATITIS. 



Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It runs through the 

 three stages of inflammation and goes on to suppuration in the 

 form of liver abscesses. This condition cannot be diagnosed dur- 

 ing life. 



Semeiology. — The symptoms are general unthriftiness ; lan- 

 guor, animal unable to do much ; the disease does not usually kill 

 unless the abscess is large and ruptures internally. If the inter- 

 nal rupture takes place, the disease will terminate in pyaemia in 

 fifty to a hundred days. 



