326 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



of chronic peritoaitis is extremely difficult, except when following 

 the acute form. Its course is slow and its evolution obscure. In 

 the ox, colics and sensitiveoess of the abdominal parts are w^anting ; 

 the only characteristic symptom is the progressive and considerable 

 increase in the size of the abdomen, while the appetite is lessened 

 from day to day and diarrhea persists. The inferior abdominal 

 wall may later become the seat of an œdematous infiltration. Fried- 

 berger has observed identical symptoms in the horse, which were 

 complicated by intermittent colics of short duration, a certain sen- 

 sitiveness of the flank, acceleration and weakness of the pulse, or a 

 fever of medium intensity. In the dog it is not always possible to 

 distinguish chronic peritonitis from ascites (see Ascites). 



Treatment. It is the same as that of ascites. We must admin- 

 ister diuretics, laxatives, and practise paracentesis. At the start, 

 when the exudate is yet relatively " dry,'' we may use hot com- 

 presses upon the abdomen with advantage (Priessnitz's compresses) ; 

 internally, we ought to give iodine (iodide of potassium, or of iron). 

 Puncture of the abdomen is completed by a flushing of the perito- 

 neum. For that purpose we use generally the following preparation : 



R. — Iodine 1 gramme. 



Iodide of potassium 5 grammes. 



Distilled water 600 " 



ASCITES: ABDOMINAL DROPSY. 



Ascites is dropsy of the peritoneum. It is an exudation of a non- 

 inflammatory liquid, which may be observed in all our domestic 

 animals, including also poultry. 



Very severe ascites is mostly found in the dog, and particularly 

 upon young or very old animals ; but we may also see it in the 

 sheep, ox, or goat, and more rarely in the horse, in which animal 

 Woodger has only observed it once in twenty-two years. We have 

 » ourselves only seen it very exceptionally in this animal. The 

 rarity of ascites in this species must be attributed to the condition 

 under which the animals live, to the work they perform, which ne- 

 cessitates energetic muscular efforts, also to suitable and regulated 

 alimentation — circumstances which are against the production of 

 blood-stasis and the transudations which are its consequences. 



Etiology and patholog-y. Ascites is not a pathologic entity ; 

 it forms but a common symptom of numerous aflections. 



