442 
Supplement to the "Tropical Agnculiurist." [Dec. 1, 1899. 
There was a sedimentary portion which formed 
about a tenth of the whole ; this was of a yellow 
colour and flacculent in its character, correspond- 
ing to the yolk of the egg. The liver was very 
hard, grated when cut, and was femaller than 
normal. The cut surface presented a grey mot- 
tled anaemic appearance, and the thickened bands 
of connective tissue could be plainly seen with the 
naked eye. The first, second, and third stomachs 
were normal and full of food of a soft consistence, 
due principally to the medicines administered. 
The fourth stomach was inflamed, and numerous 
petechne on the rugae or folds of the lining mem- 
brane. The duodenum was but slightly in- 
flamed, but there was severe congestion and 
inflammation of the rest of the small intestines. 
They contained a blood-coloured watery fluid. 
The carcum was not much inflamed, and there was 
little inflammation of the colon, but the coats 
of the large bowels were infiltrated from j to ^ 
an inch thick with a pale yellow serous fluid. 
This infiltrate was abundant in the mesentery and 
loose tissue around the coils, of the large intes- 
tines. The rectum was inflamed and the 
abdominal cavity contained about half-a-pint "f 
a pale sh'erry-coloured fluid. The spleen, kidneys 
and lungs appeared normal. The urinary bladder 
was full of urine of a rather deeper colour than 
natural. The heart was pale but firm ; there were 
large blood extravasations under the endocardium 
of the left ventricle, and numerous puuctiform 
haemorrhages under the epicardium. 
Symptoms- — As already remarked, animals may 
be affected with cirrhotic livers in an advanced 
stage without manifesting any prominent symptom 
indicating its presence, but there is generally 
irregularity of the bowels — constipation alternat- 
ing with diarrhoea; a somewhat delicate and 
variable appetite. In one herd of dairy cows 
which I had under observation for some time, and 
in which over twelve consecutive cases occurred at 
comparatively short intervals, one prominent 
symptom which was noted on close observation 
was frequent grinding of the teeth. These cows 
ate and ruminated very much as usual, their 
appetites were not so keen perhaps as they 
should have been, and their faeces were rather 
firmer than natural, considering the food which 
they were receiving, but with the exception of 
this occasional grinding of the teeth, which was 
observed a number of days before any other 
symptom became manifest, an ordinary observer 
would not have detected anything amiss with these 
cows. In this particular instance the grinding of 
the teeth was perhaps due more to the indiges- 
tion which was associated with the cirrhosed 
liver, than to the pain and uneasiness caused by 
the condition of the liver itself, as in nearly all 
these cases the acute symptoms were ushered in 
by diarrlioea and a catarrhal condition of the 
stomach and bowels, which we found great difficulty 
in controlling. In the more ordinary cases the 
animal continues to feed and ruminate as usual, 
until it suddenly manifests symptoms of acute 
indigestion and liver complications, associated 
with constipation. After administering the usual 
purgative medicine, and tlie bowels have acted 
freely, the patient may appear relieved and com- 
mence to feed a little, but frequent relapses 
occur, and although temporary improvement may 
follow the judicious administration of saline 
medicine, the patient, as a rule, becomes gradually 
more and more emaciated ; dropsical swellings 
appear in front of the chest and between the fore 
legs extending towards the abdomen. In more 
favourable cases, by careful dieting, and the fre- 
quent use of saline medicines, the animal may be 
maintained in fairly good health and condition 
for many months. But injudicious feeding will 
at any time bring on an acute attack wliich may 
terminate fatally in two or three days. 
Ti'eatment. — The treatment of chronic indura- 
tion of the liver, when such a condition is sus- 
pected, either from previous attacks of an acute 
character, or from the general sypmtoms, can only 
be palliative, and consists principally in regulating 
and arranging the diet, so as to avoid over-loading 
the stomach, and keep the bowels in a laxative 
condition. To maintain the latter, an occasional 
pose of sulphate of soda (Glauber's salts) — from 
qalf a pound to a pound — may be given, or whenthe 
oowscan be tempted to eat it, about two ounces of 
salt may be dissolved in a little boiling water and 
added to a small bran mash every morning or 
every second or third morning as may be required. 
A tablespoonful of common salt should be given 
dally. When acute symptoms appear, these 
should be treated in the same manner as recom- 
mended for acute inflammation of the liver, 
by giving first a doj:e of calomel followed by 
repeated doses of Glauber's salts as may be 
necessary to keep the bowels acting. It will 
be evident from what has been said that when an 
animal has just recovered from an acute attack of 
indigestion, congestion of the liver, or any serious 
derangement of the digestive organs, it is a great 
mistake to force all kinds of food upon it, com- 
bined with tonic medicines, in order to stimulate 
its delicate and defective appetite, as is usually 
done. The treatment which such an animal re- 
requires is not medicine so much as a light 
nourishing diet of a laxative character, given in 
small quantities and at short intervals. A little 
laxative medicine judiciously administered oc- 
casionally will relieve the debilitated and con- 
gested organs, and assist their defective action. 
An excellent stimulant under such conditions is 
the carbonate or chloride of ammonium, which 
may be given along with gentian and ginger in 
the following doses: — 
Powdered Chloride of Ammonium . . ^ ounce. 
„ Gentian root . . 2 drachms. 
„ Ginger . . . , 2 „ 
Mix in a bottle of thin linseed or oatmeal gruel, 
and give twice a day. The carbonate of ammonia 
may be substituted for the chloride if the animal 
is weak in addition to having a delicate appetite. 
But the principal consideration is the regulation 
and selection of the diet in all such cases. 
Eemember that the habitual tendency of all that 
goes on in the animal body is always in the 
direction of health. This is the inherent bent of 
all the vital powers and processes of the animal 
organism. The object of medicine, therefore, is to 
assist this " healincr power of nature," as it is 
culled, and one of the principal means of doing 
that is to remove every obstacle to the free action 
of this health-restoring force. 
