REPORTS OF CASES. 
245 
H % 
PERITONITIS. 
By F. B. Rogers, D.V.S. 
On the 4th inst. I was called to attend a brown mare, 
aged, the property of a hides and fat man. Temperature 102 
# F., respiration normal; slight dullness over lower part of right 
lung; slight discharge, catarrhal in character, from eyes and 
nose ; very stiff all around ; no fever in feet. Diagnosis ; pink¬ 
eye. Prognosis , favorable; Treatmeat : a stimulant electuary, and 
frictions of soap liniment to legs. On the 6th at 10 a. m. I was 
again called to see her, the owner stating that she had manifested 
slight colicky symptons since 7 p. m. the previous evening. When 
I saw her the mare was looking anxiously at the right flank, the 
pulse at the jaw weak, not much accelerated, and intermitting. 
Profuse diaphores ; has some tympanitis. .Rectal and vaginal 
mucous membrane injected—the latter “ mauve ” tinted. There 
was considerable tenderness on pressure over the floor of the 
belly, and the mare died at 11 a. m. 
Post mortem was at once made, and showed considerable dirty 
exudate into the peritoneal cavity, with layer of recent lymph and 
the same condition of affairs in the thorax. The stomach was en¬ 
tirely interwoven by meshes of the new formation, which were 
dirty red in color, and the same appearance was observable in.the 
greater part of the mesentery. The intestines were empty and 
somewhat distended with gas, the mesenteric vessels engorged, 
with patches of purple discoloration over the intestines. The 
parietal peritoneum was little altered, the parietal pleura not at all. 
Now, this mare died from peritonitis, and died in 24 hours 
from the first appearance of symptoms ; there was no tenderness 
on pressure or any other abdominal symptoms at my first visit. 
The question of interest to me was, what caused this condition 
of affairs; w T as the peritoneal inflammation caused by the same 
materies morbi to which the influenza was due ? or was it due to 
the absorption of poisonous matter from the infected atmosphere 
by which her owner’s business surrounded her ? Considering the 
rapidity of her talving off, the pathological conditions were not 
