Disease in captive wild mammals and birds : $b incidence, description, comparisonFox, Herbert
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Disease in captive wild mammals and birds : $b incidence, description, comparison
Fox, Herbert
Veterinary medicine
Acute enteritis, of all varieties, is seen more beautifully in
carnivores than in any other order of mammals, and nowhere can it be
studied better. Its gross appearance is that of the text-book and its
minute character even more instructive. I have used a slide of acute
catarrhal enteritis in a lion for the illustration of this lesion for
the _Text-book of Pathology_ by Doctor Stengel and myself. However, as
is known to all who have paid any attention to enteritis, the postmortem
findings are usually much less definite than clinical observations would
warrant one to expect. The Carnivora not uncommonly show intestinal
congestion, mucous membrane swelling without edema or opacity,
congestion of the spleen, cloudy swelling of the liver and kidneys and
perhaps mesenteric lymph node edema. This picture we have viewed as a
toxic affair of some sort or a bacterial infection not yet far enough
advanced to produce catarrhal or ulcerative enteritis and septicemia. In
such cases the carnivorous intestinal mucosa offers instruction. The
epithelium is vacuolated or fringed on the free edge or may be missing
altogether. In the depths mucus formation is very active, and where it
is going on, round cells seem attracted, collecting in groups in the
villus or in the subjacent submucosa. Perivascular round cell increase
may be noted. Plasma cells and granular eosinophiles are common, but I
cannot state how important the latter are in the general picture because
of the frequency of parasites in carnivores. The central vessel of the
villus and the arterioles of the submucosa are injected. Lymph follicles
may or may not be enlarged, but if so usually fail to show a germ
centre.
Colitis alone is not common in this order, but as an extension process
or involvement at the same time as the upper levels it occurs
occasionally. The only fact I wish to record and one which I would
emphasize because of having seen it recently in a human case of chronic
colitis, and since it does not appear important to systematic writers,
is superficial blood supply. The capillary network of the colonic villi,
while rich, is in the form of a fine plexus just under the epithelium.
In the cases studied these vessels become quite distinct and possess
much more definite walls, often bordered by mononuclears, while
connective tissue is more evident at the bases of the villi and deeper.
This may help in deciding the existence of a colitis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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