120 Veterinary Medicine. 



may burst and allow exit to the offending body. If it encroaches 

 on the liver, symptoms of hepatic disorder supervene. Its pro- 

 gress through the lung or pleura is marked by objective symp- 

 toms of pulmonary or pleural inflammation (crepitation, flatness 

 or percussion, creaking or friction sounds), but without the 

 customary amount of hyperthermia, and with some evidence of 

 gastric disorder. When the pericardium is reached there are 

 the usual signs of pericarditis, attended by comparatively little 

 fever, and a doughy swelling beneath the sternum is added to 

 the objective signs of exudation in the pericardium. 

 • Among the peculiar routes followed by such bodies may be 

 named the following : to the side of the ensiform cartilage ; 

 through an intercostal space ; into a chondro- costal articulation ; 

 through the muscles of the flank ; and even in the region of the 

 croup. If the attendant abscess or fistula bursts into a serous 

 cavity it determines septic peritonitis or pleurisy, while in the 

 lung it may cause septic pneumonia. As a rule, however, this 

 is prevented by the excessive quantity of exudation. 



Symptoms These are extremely variable according to the seat 

 and nature of the lesion. So long as the foreign body is con- 

 fined in the rumen there is usually no symptom. Even when it 

 has penetrated surrounding organs the symptoms are usually for 

 a time very obscure. A few years ago a cow entered the prize 

 ring, at the New York State Fair, was awarded first prize, and 

 died a few minutes later from a piece of baling wire penetrating 

 the pericardium. When symptoms are patent there are usually 

 early indications of indigestion in the rumen, capricious appetite, 

 sluggish and imperfect rumination, dullness, tardy movements, 

 frequency and fcetor of eructations, colicy pains, grunting when 

 moved, and wincing under pressure in the left hypochondrium. 

 Pressure below, to the left of the ensiform cartilage is sometimes 

 particularly painful. 



If the object is advancing toward the heart a broad area or line 

 of dullness may often be detected by percussion on the left side 

 of the chest and under the acts of respiration or walking, gurgling 

 sounds may be heard along this line. The movements of the 

 ribs on the same side are limited as compared with the other side, 

 and straining in defecation or urination may be manifestly painful 

 and accompanied by groaning. For the same reason costiveness 

 is liable to set in. 



