DISEASES OF THE PERITONEUM. 



317 



etc.). In all these cases the determining cause of the inflammation 

 is the penetration into the peritoneum of irritating germs which are 

 suspended in the atmosphere, or the use of unclean instruments, 

 soiled with inflammatory, septic, or putrid matters. The simple 

 entrance of air through the inguinal canal at the time of castration 

 of a stallion may produce a fatal peritonitis under certain conditions 

 (Heriug). 



2. Ruptures or perforations of the organs covered by the perito- 

 neum and the invasion of irritating bodies into the abdominal cavity. 

 Here we must particularly mention ruptures of the stomach, in- 

 testine, bladder, liver and spleen, etc. ; also the perforation of the 

 gastric or intestinal walls by ulcerations, foreign bodies, packed 

 stercoral matters, and worms; the tearing of the uterus at the time 

 of parturition, the perforation of the capsule of the liver by fluke- 

 worms, the opening of an abscess or echinococcus cyst into the 

 peritoneum, the perforation of the intestine consecutive to hemor- 

 rhagic infarctus, or necrosis determined by vascular thrombosis, the 

 laceration of the rectum when exploration is practised unskilfully. 

 (Duvieusart has observed this accident ^' with appearances of an 

 enzootic character" within the working district of a quack.) 



3. Propagation of a localized inflammation by contiguity of tissue 

 to one of the organs contained in the abdomen or to the walls of 

 this cavity ; contusion of the abdomen, affections of the stomach 

 or intestine, violent inflammation of the gastro-intestinal mucous 

 membranes, ulcerations or partial tearings, etc., changes of relation 

 of the intestine (volvulus, invagination, strangulated hernia), inflam- 

 matory disease of the liver, kidneys, bladder, and uterus (metritis, 

 parametritis, perimetritis), also of the ovaries, testicles, and testicular 

 €ord. In rare cases the peritoneum may burst as a complication of 

 pleurisy. 



Metastatic peritonitis, originating during the course of pyemia 

 and a few other general diseases, is little known in animals. 



Patholog-ical anatomy. In recent acute difl'used peritonitis we 

 And the peritoneum hyperemic and filled with small ecchymoses. 

 The redness is more or less intense, sometimes nearly uniform, and 

 at other times disposed in ramified tracts ; it varies in color from 

 rose to brick-red or scarlet; these colorations are changed later into 

 a gray-red tint. As a rule, the inflammatory process is not equally 

 advanced in the whole extent of tlie serous membrane, and the 

 -starting-point of the inflammation may be easily recognized. Some- 



