Congestion of the Liver in the Horse. 495 



tained. While the color is of deep red throughout, there are 

 spots of a still darker hue indicating the seat of subcapsular or 

 deeper seated hemorrhages. The color varies according as the 

 congestion is passive or active. In the former the coloration is 

 deeper in the centre of the acinus (nutmeg liver) indicating con- 

 gestion of the hepatic veins, while in the latter the periphery of 

 the acinus may be most deeply stained implying congestion of the 

 portal vein. The consistency of the organ is diminished, and the 

 more acute the attack the greater the friability. In such cases there 

 is a parboiled appearance indicating granular and commencing 

 fatty degeneration. Under the microscope the relative distension of 

 the intralobular, and interlobular veins and the hepatic capillaries 

 becomes more distinctly marked and the presence of pigment and 

 fatty granules and the lack of protoplasm and nuclei in the hepatic 

 cells indicate their progressive changes. When the peripheral 

 cells are pale from fatty granules the contrast between the light 

 margin and dark centre of the acinus, makes the mottled or nut- 

 meg aspect of the liver much more pronounced. 



In old standing cases of passive congestion the liver may be the 

 seat of fibroid degeneration, extending from the capsule inward 

 in bands or trabeculse, and giving to the organ a firm resistant 

 character (sclerosis, cirrhosis). 



Symptoms. The symptoms are general and suggestive rather 

 than pathognomonic. There are dullness, prostration, unsteady 

 walk, pendent head, with occasional jerking, semiclosed eyes, 

 redness of the conjunctiva, slight colicy pains, arching of the 

 loins, muscular tremblings and decubitus on the left side rather 

 than the right. The more definite symptoms are tenderness on 

 percussion with the closed fist over the last ribs (the liver) 

 especially on the right side, increase of the area of hepatic per- 

 cussion dullness (which may be rendered valueless by a loaded 

 colon), the presence of a slight icterus in the conjunctiva and 

 urine, and an increase of the urine secreted and an excess of the 

 contained urea. 



In passive cases however the obstruction to the escape of blood 

 from the liver preventsthe development of icteric symptoms, of 

 uraemia and of polyuria. In all such cases however there follows 

 a general congestion of the portal system and if it persists for 

 any length of time gastro-intestinal congestion and catarrh and 

 even ascites may develop. 



