30 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



greatly increased, and runs out of the mouth in long, thready 

 strings; this is also seen in all inflammatory conditions of the 

 mouth, or wliere there is an abscess located in the mouth or throat 

 during teething, in cases of mercurial poisoning, and from the re- 

 sults of some poisons, and after the hypodermic injection of pilo- 

 carpine. 



The secretion of saliva is lessened daring all fevers, and from 

 thcNeffects of some poisons and after the injection of atropia. 



The soft palate and pharynx are sometimes the seat of acute 

 or chronic inflammations, and sometimes we find abscesses of these 

 parts from the presence of foreign bodies (needles, splinters of 

 bone or wood). It is well to feel these parts with the finger when 

 making an examination. The tonsils are affected, as a rule, in all 

 cases of pharyngitis. It generally protrudes from the side of the 

 base of the tongue in a dark-red sausage-like formation. 



Examination of the CEsophagus. 



The oesophagus projects from the pharynx on a level with the 

 first cervical vertebra. The anterior part of it lies between the 

 windpipe and the longus colli in the median line of the neck. It 

 extends from there to the left side of the windpipe and runs into 

 the cavity of the chest behind that organ; from there it again 

 goes to the dorsal surface of the windpipe and passes to the right 

 side of the aortic arch between both membranes of the medias- 

 tinum, in the shape of a flat arch, and perforates the diaphragm 

 and reaches the stomach. The width of the oesophagus is not 

 regular in its entire length, being narrower at the region of the 

 pharynx and the heart. 



The oesophagus can be examined externally by the hand or in- 

 ternally by the pharyngeal sound or probang. Foreign bodies 

 (pieces of bone, wood, large pieces of food) become lodged in the 

 oesophagus generally just beyond the pharynx in the region of the 

 neck, where they can be readily felt by the hand. The thyroid 

 gland is sometimes enlarged, and care must be taken not to mis- 

 take this for a foreign body. Carcinomas or sarcomas are some- 

 times found along the course of the oesophagus. 



Introduction of the Laryngeal Sound (Probang-). The 

 best sound is a large, flexible catheter (7 or 14, according to the 

 size of the animal). 



