280 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



times daily, will usually cure the most serious cases in from one 

 week to ten days. — w. l. z.] 



Certain mechanical manipulations have given quite a large 

 number of cures. Among these manipulations, we must notice: 

 pressure exerted upon the abdominal walls in order to remove 

 the bile which has accumulated in the vesicle, cold injections, and 

 faradization of the liver through the abdominal walls — a remedy 

 used with success by Siedamgrotzky. To counteract weakness, 

 somnolence, and coma, which happen in serious cases and threaten 

 a fatal termination, we must employ stimulants (camphor, coffee, 

 ether, etc.).^ 



Icterus of newborn animals does not seem to be very rare in our 

 domestic species. Hartmann has seen, m Babolna, colts born icteric 

 or which became such after five or six days; he ascribes this affec- 

 tion to phlebitis of the cord, accompanied with an alteration of the 

 liver. But constipation (non elimination of the meconium) and 

 insufficient blood-pressure may produce icterus in the newborn. 

 According to Hartmann, the prognosis is very serious ; most pa- 

 tients are carried away in a few days by an exhausting diarrhea. 

 This author advises the use of alkalines and rhubarb. In the 

 slaughter-houses we can often find icterus in the calf 



The serious icterus (cholemia), very frequent in the dog, is ordi- 

 narily due to the complete obstruction of the ductus choledochus 

 by a mucous plug, or to an invagination of the duodenum, more 

 rarely to the pressure exerted upon the biliary canal by the tume- 

 fied spleen (De Jong) or by neoformatious of the pancreas (Fried- 

 berger). But sometimes it is the consequence of poisoning by 

 moulds, phosphorus, or sea-salt (tainted meat, herring-brine). Its 

 course is extremely rapid. Death is preceded by a deep collapse, 

 and a lowering of the temperature. The jaundice is much marked; 



1 Eancilla, taking as a starting-point the theory that icterus of the dog is almost 

 always produced by an intestinal obstruction, advises the following treatment : 

 1. Make the patient swallow three lead balls of a variable calibre, according to the 

 size of the animal (16 Lefaucheux calibre for a medium sized dog; calibre 12 for a 

 large dog), and administer, after the swallowing of each ball, a small dose of castor 

 oil. 2. Then walk the animal, or if he is too weak, take him from time to time by 

 the front paws and shake him slightly, and make him perform a few " dancing steps." 

 3. For one or two days give exclusively a slight decoction of linseed as a drink (5 

 grammes per litre of water). Notwithstanding the publication of some favorable 

 results obtained by the use of this treatment, we continue to combat icterus in the dog 

 by ordinary means, especially calomel administered in small doses until it purges. 



— N. D. T. 



