ICTERUS: JAUNDICE. 



279 



biliary acids produces serious symptoms. First of all, these acids 

 slacken cardiac activity, and lower the temperature by several 

 degrees (to 36°, 85°, or 32° C.) ; through their influence upon the 

 nervous centres they produce great weakness, stupefaction, and, 

 in the horse, pronounced symptoms of immobility. The cessation 

 of the biliary flow into the intestine leads to another series of 

 troubles. Constipation occurs, which is due to a want of stimula- 

 tion of the mucous membrane of the intestine through the bile, and 

 to a diminished secretion of intestinal liquids. The excrements are 

 of a clearer tint, and often have an unbearable odor ; in dogs fed 

 on meat they become gray or clay-colored, a modification which is 

 due to the circumstance of the absence of bile, which under nor- 

 mal conditions saponifies the fat contained in the stomach. The 

 increase in size of the liver is but very rarely observed in the 

 horse. 



Course. The course of catarrhal icterus is very variable accord- 

 ing to the species. It usually lasts a few weeks. In the dog it 

 often causes death by a complete obstruction of the ductus chole- 

 dochus ; in some cases (serious icterus, cholemia), it is complicated 

 by a "hemorrhagic diathesis." 



Treatment. This is identical with that of gastro- duodenal 

 catarrh. We may prescribe a strict dietetic regimen (meat for the 

 dog, green fodder, turnips, etc , for the horse) and the administra- 

 . tion of salts, among which the artificial Carlsbad salts are the most 

 advisable (see page 89). In the dog, the following preparation may 

 be used with advantage: Artificial Carlsbad salts, 10 gaammes; 

 distilled water, 150 grammes. Dose, three tablespoonfuls daily. 



We may also use calomel, castor oil, tincture of rhubarb ; we 

 should avoid the drastics, which increase the tumefaction of the 

 duodenal mucous membrane. We have tried to diminish the latter 

 by giving astringents (tannin in red wnne) ; but the efficiency of 

 these agents is at least very doubtful. 



[Trasbot says that derivation by means of a plaster applied upon 

 the belly is of much advantage ; bleeding is often useful at the 

 commencement ; with the revulsion, calomel in small doses (0.25 

 to 0.30 gramme, morning and evening), and rice-water mixed with 

 milk have given him more cures than all other means. From per- 

 sonal experience I have found that the administration of blue mass 

 and podophyllin in small doses three or four times a day, aided 

 with dilute nitro-muriatic acid, in three- to five-drop doses three 



