Mercurial salts, though much used in earlier times, are now entirely given up. Diuretics, such as bicarbonate of potash, nitrate of potash, alcohol, and acetate of ammonia, should be used, according to circumstances.
Aseptic washing out of the peritoneal cavity would be advantageous, but in large animals cannot easily be effected.
CHRONIC PERITONITIS.
Causation. Chronic peritonitis may occur as a termination of the acute form, but it may also develop gradually as a result of disease of the kidney (pyelo-nephritis), of the uterus or ovaries (chronic metritis, tumour of the ovary), of the liver (suppurative echinococcosis), or of any other lesion in neighbouring parts which is capable of setting up continued irritation.
It also accompanies tuberculosis of the peritoneum, cancer of the peritoneum, chronic disease of the bladder, etc. Further, it appears, but more rarely, in certain chronic diseases, such as chronic dysentery and lymphadenitis.
Lesions. The lesions consist of local thickenings of the peritoneal layers, and numerous papilliform vegetations scattered very irregularly over the parietal peritoneum, mesentery, epiploon, etc.
If the disease has existed for a long time, fibrous bands or solid adhesions may be discovered, connecting various parts of the digestive apparatus with one another, or with the abdominal walls.
Sometimes the intestinal contents seem almost entirely adherent to the abdominal walls.
The primary lesions of the liver, spleen, kidneys, or genital organs, from which the disease originated, are also found.
The quantity of exuded liquid varies greatly; sometimes there is a great quantity of a transparent or lemon-coloured liquid, resembling that of ascites. In other cases the liquid is scanty, and may be confined between layers of bowel, which are connected by an inflamed layer of epiploon.