ON THE DISOEDEES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPAEATUS. 137 



cat. Holostoma alatum, a fluke, occasionally is found 

 in the stomach and intestine of the dog. Cheiracanthus 

 occurs in the stomach of the dog ■(' Veterinarian/ 1875, 

 p. 115). 



Appendix I.— THE PEBITONEUM. 



The peritoneum of the dog is not liable to inflammation 

 as a result of surgical operations, as physiologists have amply 

 proved, and so also have veterinary surgeons in the operation 

 of Lapabotomt. Thus Eelizet, of Elboeuf (vide ' Journal 

 de Med. Vet.,' 1853, p. 40), relates several cases of recovery 

 after operation on the dog for removal of concretions from 

 the intestines, and numerous successful cases of the 

 Csesarean operation on the bitch are now on record, vide, 

 for example, ' Annales de Med. Vet.,' 1878, p. 241, where 

 five are mentioned. Yet the experience of canine patho^ 

 logists tends to the conclusion that the peritoneum of the 

 dog is rather liable to inflammation from non-surgioal 

 causes, especially to the chronic form of the disorder. 



Peritonitis when acute is difficult to distinguish from 

 enteritis, indeed it generally accompanies the latter. 

 Fever runs high, and the animal utters sharp cries, espe- 

 cially when handled ; the breathing is difficult, and 

 obstinate constipation is present. The dog is extremely 

 restless and cannot lie down with comfort. In the chronic 

 and more frequent form the symptoms are similar but 

 less marked, the belly is tucked up, hard, and painful on 

 pressure, the animal endeavours to hide itself and becomes 

 much emaciated, and the symptoms of dropsy of the belly 

 supervene, as also may be the case in the more acute 

 form, in which, however, gangrenous changes may carry 

 off the patient. This disease generally results from 

 external injury or exposure to cold. In the latter case it 

 is probably rheumatic, which is considered the most fre- 

 quent form of peritonitis in the dog. The inflammation 

 is usually diffused, local patches of inflammation of the 

 serous membrane of the belly only occurring in conse- 



