662 
TUMOUR IN THE ABDOMEN OF A DOG. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES BY 
ASSISTANT-PROFESSOR VARNELL. 
The morbid growth existing in the abdomen may be de- 
scribed as a large mesenteric tumour, as it was found to 
involve the mesenteric glands in particular. Its weight was 
two pounds and a half avoirdupois. It measured eight 
inches and a half in its long diameter, and four and a half in 
its short. It was of a dark-gray colour, and in parts was 
extremely vascular. On its external surface it was partially 
nodulated, more particularly at its posterior extremity. The 
upper surface was flattened, but the low’er was convex in 
form. The ends were rounded ; the anterior more so than 
the posterior ; and at its anterior end it was also wider than 
at the other. The outer surface, although nodulated, was, 
from its being covered with peritoneum, smooth and glisten- 
ing, except at the part where it was attached to the con- 
tiguous structures. The tumour was placed lengthways 
with the direction of the spine, and extended from the 
diaphragm in front to a little beyond the umbilicus behind. 
It also inclined a little to the right side of a medium line 
drawn from before backwards. 
We offer no detailed opinions as to its histology in a 
pathological point of view, further than that we are of 
opinion that it was of a scrofulous nature, a disease of fre- 
quent occurrence in dogs. Its structure, as viewed by the 
naked eye, on a section being made through it from 
one end to the other, varied considerably. In some places it 
was dense and fibrinous in its texture, and of a lightish-gray 
colour. This was its especial character at the upper portion 
near to its attachment. For a short distance from this part, 
it was of a dark-gray colour, with scarcely a trace of fibrous 
tissue, and was easily torn by pressure. Near its outer sur- 
face it had a mixed appearance, in some places being dark 
in colour and somewhat soft in texture, while here and there 
small clots of coagulated blood were present. In other 
places it was of a lighter colour and very soft. 
In the interior there were several cavities containing a 
tenacious semi-transparent fluid. These were separated 
from each other by septa, which were, however, very easily 
broken down. The surface of each cavity was covered by a 
thin layer of yellow inspissated matter, apparently consisting 
of degenerated fibrine. 
