Post-mortem Examination 119 
as to its color and whether it is clotted. Thin black 
blood with a disagreeable odor indicates the presence of 
germs, and blood poisoning or a contagious or infec- 
tious disease is to be suspected. If the white tissues are 
abnormally yellow, a disease of the liver is indicated. 
After the skin is removed, the fore leg on the upper 
side should be removed, the ribs cut off a few inches 
from the backbone and down the middle of the chest. 
The soft tissues should be cut and the whole covering 
of one side removed. This exposes all the organs in 
the chest and abdominal cavities. In cutting into the 
cavities, the quantity of watery fluid that escapes, its 
color and its odor, should be noticed. If an abnormal 
quantity escapes from the abdomen it indicates dropsy 
or a rupture of the bladder. In the latter case the 
characteristic odor of urine is present. If the fluid is 
red in color it indicates an inflammation of the bowels 
or the lining membrane of the abdomen, or the pres- 
ence of blood. The fluid of the chest cavity is also 
important. An excessive quantity indicates an inflam- 
mation of the lungs. In this case there are usually 
fibrous adhesions between the lungs and the chest- wall. 
The external color of the stomach and intestines is 
important. If red, the organs are congested; and if 
dark red ov purple in color, inflamed. The presence 
of tumors, abscesses or growths on the intestines, liver, 
spleen or inside abdominal walls should be looked for, 
as well as the appearance of the gall-bladder in cattle, 
sheep and swine. The size of the abdominal organs 
is also important. The quantity, kind and condition 
of the food in the stomach and intestines are important, 
