Diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and swineMoussu, G. (Gustave)
Science
Diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and swine
Moussu, G. (Gustave)
Veterinary medicine
=Causation.= According to Stubbe, these lesions are produced by
microbes, originating in the intestines, and carried to the liver by the
mesenteric veins. The lesions and blood of the liver yield cultures of a
microbe resembling that of necrosis; nevertheless, such lesions have not
been experimentally reproduced.
According to Berndt, infection from the uterus is possible, and indeed
probable. Moussu has only seen three cases of this particular condition
of the liver in living animals. Two of these were in a working ox and a
bull respectively, so that Berndt’s view would not seem to be
exclusively applicable. Moussu is convinced that infection is of
intestinal origin, and that it takes place through the mesenteric veins;
he claims to have found the proof of this in the existence of multiple
pylephlebitis and complete obliteration of the subhepatic veins in some
cases.
=Symptoms.= The symptoms are so vague as to render diagnosis difficult.
Berndt, on the other hand, regards it as fairly easy. He states that the
disease occurs in old cows, which after parturition show loss of
appetite, polydipsia, fever, dyspnœa, and short, feeble cough,
suggesting pneumonia. After a few days the animals appear extremely
weak, remain lying for long periods, and exhibit icterus. Percussion of
the liver detects abnormal sensibility and hypertrophy.
The three cases seen by Moussu showed only slight yellowness of the
membranes, general weakness and difficulty in walking, which at first
glance appeared to suggest laminitis, marked hypertrophy of the liver,
sensitiveness over the hepatic region, and, as complications,
uncontrollable diarrhœa and peritonitis. But these symptoms are also
noted in suppurating echinococcosis, and even in cancer of the biliary
ducts, so that diagnosis does not appear easy. Nevertheless, there is
always marked fever, and on post-mortem examination it is not unusual to
find, in addition to the hepatic lesions, a certain amount of
perihepatitis, partial peritonitis, and even pleurisy in the region of
the diaphragm. The question is of little practical importance, for the
gravity of the disease just described is such that economically no
treatment is possible. The great point lies in correctly diagnosing
disease of the liver, and that is relatively easy.
CANCER OF THE LIVER AND BILE DUCTS.
Cancer of the liver, that is, broadly speaking, the development in the
liver of malignant tumours, capable of becoming generalised throughout
the organism, is comparatively rare when compared with parasitic
diseases of the same organ. It may be primary or secondary in character,
but is much more frequently secondary. In bovines primary cancer assumes
the forms of adenomata, trabecular epitheliomata, or adeno-carcinomata.
Moussu describes a case in which the growths assumed the form of
papillomata or adeno-papillomata extending throughout the biliary ducts,
and partly obstructing the common bile duct, which was greatly dilated.
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