DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
439 
tions, and its indications may be classed as follows, viz. : 
(A) Coprostasis. 
(B) Intestinal occlusions. 
(C) Foreign bodies in the intestine, 
(D) Intestinal dilatations containing foreign .substances. 
(A) Coprostasis: the accumulation of fsecal matter in the 
intestine, due to the arrest of its onward flow, either from the 
lack of nerve supply or a hardening of the aliment, as a result 
of a chemical change or .insufficient moisture, and which can¬ 
not be expelled or relieved by any other means, should be re¬ 
moved by opening the abdominal cavity and the intestine at the 
appropriate place. Among the additional causes of coprostasis 
may be enumerated faulty alimentation, inactivity, forced idle¬ 
ness and lack of exercise, abrupt dietetic changes, inactivity of 
intestinal glands,-and paralysis of the intestine. Faulty inner¬ 
vation may reduce the peristaltic action of the intestine and 
allow the contents to fill the lumen, or cause a dilatation in 
which is collected the indigestible part of the aliment, which 
may eventually cause an accumulation of the faecal matter and 
completely occlude the intestine. Hardening of aliment may 
result from the increased absoption of the stomach and anterior 
portion of the intestine, and the arrest or impaired secretion of 
intestinal glands ; the chemical changes in this connection are 
manifested in the form of calculi. Faulty alimentation : foods 
containing a large amount of cellulose or other indigestible sub¬ 
stances may accumulate in the intestine, become hardened by 
the absorption of its moisture, and thus form an obstruction 
which may in time completely fill its lumen. Inactivity : ani¬ 
mals that are not exercised and fed on large quantities of rough 
food, and those that are u laid up ” and fed on nutritious food 
without exercise, when accustomed to hard and regular work, 
may acquire some digestive disorder which may be followed by 
an accumulation of the contents of alimentary tract. Abrupt 
change of diet: when animals are accustomed to a certain kind 
of diet, the digestive organs adapt themselves to the demand 
made upon them to facilitate its digestion, and any sudden devi¬ 
ation from the ordinary diet may cause some functional disorder 
of the intestinal tract which may be followed by coprostasis. 
Paralysis of the intestine is often followed by the accumulation 
of the fsecal matter, and in many cases cannot be relieved unless 
the paralysis is only local. 
(B) Intestinal Occlusions. —Under this classification of indi¬ 
cations for enterotomy can be considered all obstacles that can 
