Diseases of the Liver and Spleen. lOi 



physiology,' states that, after the anatomical study he has 

 made of the disease, it appears to be sufficiently proved that 

 it is not essentially an alteration of the liver ; on the contrary, 

 in the majority of cases this organ is perfectly healthy, and 

 even less modified in its colour than many of the other 

 tissues. It is sometimes found slightly congested and ecchy- 

 mosed, but this is more rare, and always in a lesser degree 

 than the lungs, kidneys, and lymphatic glands. When it 

 exists it is only a secondary phenomenon, indicating a 

 general alteration in the organism, which is marked by a 

 tendency to the production of capillary haemorrhage in 

 different parts, and by no special lesion. The general 

 condition of the animals, the increase in the respiration 

 and circulation, as well as the elevation of temperature 

 before the appearance of the yellow colour externally, 

 indicate, as a primary and fundamental phenomenon, an 

 acutely inflamed condition of some tissue. And, later, the 

 prostration, insensibility, and low temperature prove the 

 existence of intoxication by a poison ; this poison 

 evidently results from the accumulation of bile — or, at 

 least, of some of its constituents — in the blood. So that 

 icterus, at first of an inflammatory nature, is soon compli- 

 cated by the incessant accumulation of bile in the blood, 

 from the moment that its characteristic symptom — yellow- 

 ness of the tissues — is manifested. 



" Trasbot's observations go to detnonstrate that the 

 mucous membrane of the duodenum is always violently 

 inflamed, and that this inflammation is also somewhat 

 frequently noticed in the stomach, and sometimes to a cer- 

 tain extent in the small intestines. Exceptionally, circum- 

 scribed inflammatory centres are found in the lungs and 

 kidneys, around haemorrhagic points of recent date. But 

 the inflammation is never absent in the duodenum, so that 

 duodenitis should be considered as the primary condition 

 and sine qud non in the development of icterus. This 

 localisation, however, is not absolute, as often there is 



