328 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



it we find dropsies of the pleura, of the pericardium, and subcu- 

 taneous œdemas. 



III. Tumors — carcinomatous, sarcomatous, or tuberculous — of 

 the peritoneum, as well as cured jperitonitis, are also charged with 

 causing ascites. In these cases true exudation is meant rather than 

 transudation, and chronic peritonitis rather than ascites. However, 

 the development of true ascites under the influence of these patho- 

 logical conditions is not to be doubted. In advanced tuberculosis 

 of the cow we have several times recognized a very pronounced 

 ascites, which was certainly produced by tuberculous neoformations^ 

 there being no trace of inflammatory alterations upon the perito- 

 neum. On the other hand, we have observed in a dog ten years 

 old a generalized peritoneal carcinomatous condition which involved 

 all the abdominal organs, without any trace of ascites. 



Pathological anatomy. The abdominal cavity often contains 

 a considerable quantity of liquid. In the horse as much as 150 

 litres may be found ; Brusasco has abstracted 107 litres at one 

 time. In the dog, Ilordt was able to draw 18 litres. The liquid 

 of ascites is more or less similar to blood-serum ; at times it is clear 

 and yellow tinted or opalescent, slightly turbid ; then again it is 

 of a greenish-yellow tint due to epithelial residue in the course of 

 granulo-fatty degeneration ; in some cases it is colored red by red 

 blood- corpuscles, in others we find small fibrinous flakes suspended 

 in its mass. Its specific weight is relatively not very high (1012 in 

 man, and we have observed the same density in the horse). Albumin 

 is ordinarily found in but a small proportion ; in the dog we have 

 found 3.5 per cent. 



Alterations of the peritoneal serous membrane vary with the age 

 of the trouble. This membrane is at times hardly infiltrated ; it is 

 oftener tumefied, thickened, bleached, desquamated, and its endo- 

 thelium is the seat of fatty degeneration. According to Ziegler, a 

 formative irritation is developed, which becomes gradually infil- 

 trated with cells. When the process has lasted a long time, it is 

 accompanied by connective-tissue neoformations, a considerable 

 thickening of the serous membrane, and at times by partial adhe- 

 sions of the peritoneal folds. 



Under the influence of prolonged accumulation of the transudate 

 the various organs of the abdominal cavity become pale, anemic, 

 and atrophied ; the intestine is frequently retracted, the diaphragm 

 is softened and much pushed forward ; the capacity of the pectoral 



