92 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



When growth ceases to draw largely upon nutritive 

 supplies plethora often occurs,, and a somewhat similar 

 throwing back of blood on the system takes place at 

 parturition, to be relieved by lactation. 



B. Nutritive Deficiency. — Atrophy op the Blood, ANiE- 

 MiA, debility, poverty of the blood. The principal additions 

 to the blood occur from the alimentary canal, any impediment 

 to this source of supply gives rise to anaemia. Imperfect 

 performance of subsidiary or principal digestive functions, 

 defective absorption, imperfect assimilation, or insufficient 

 or improper alimentary matter and excessive removal 

 of material from the blood will cause debility, hence it 

 results from fluxes, persistent hasmorrhages, &c. 



Symptoms, general deficiency in vital energy, excita- 

 bility and languor, often inappetence and tendency to 

 indigestion. Pulse feeble, frequent, and irregular ; heart's 

 action liable to extreme irregularity of beat. Mucous 

 membranes very pale. Coldness of the extremities and a 

 peculiar sound audible over the larger veins, "venous 

 murmurs.^' Rapid wasting, and frequently the patient is 

 found to be covered with lice. Often this disorder is due 

 to scrofulous tumours internally, or to some specific disorder 

 which has interfered with the nutritive properties of the 

 blood. The essential morbid lesion consists in deficiency of 

 blood-corpuscles. It has been supposed that this results from 

 an abnormally watery state of the serum whereby the red 

 globules absorb moisture in excess and disintegrate. This 

 may be so, but we are inclined in the generality of cases, to 

 consider the excess of water rather the result of the fact that 

 the few red corpuscles do not suffice to stimulate suffi- 

 ciently the water removing organs, kidneys, and skin, 

 consequently the urine is scanty, and the skin dry and 

 tight on the emaciated body. Sometimes the excess of 

 water in the blood causes dropsical effusions either into 

 serous and synovial cavities or into the subcutaneous areolar 

 tissue. Death may result either from lungs or other parts 

 becoming the seat of congestion, or in the manner which we 

 have already described, as death from anasmia. It is 

 generally preceded by diarrhoea of an exhausting character. 



