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Intestinal inflammation.

Inflammation of the intestines.

The essential symptoms of this disease are:- violent abdominal pain, increased on pressure; with vomiting and inflammatory fever. Enteritis may affect both the peritoneal and the mucous coat of the intestines; and, in violent cases, all the coats may be implicated. The structure of the mucous and peritoneal coats is different; so are their functions in health and disease. The inflammation of the serous coat, Sero-enteritis, resembles that of the cellular membrane; the inflammation of the mucous coat, that of the skin. The former is usually, therefore, of a more active character. Inflammation of the mucous coat, Eso-enteritis, Endo-enteritis, Muco-enteritis, Mucous Enteritis, Phlegmymenitis enterica, is generally attended with diarrhoea, and its pathology is identical with that of dysentery. Inflammation of the peritoneal coat is, on the other hand, generally attended with constipation. Enteritis of the peritoneal coat, for such usually is the meaning of the word in the abstract, requires the most active treatment. Copious bleeding, followed up by a large dose of opium -and, if the symptoms be not decidedly ameliorated, repeating the bleeding and opium-warm fomentations, and blisters, are the chief agents to be relied upon. Purgatives ought not to he exhibited until the inflammation and spasm are abated by the use of the bleeding and opium. When the physician is called early, this plan will usually succeed. Sometimes, Enteritis passes into a chronic state, requiring much careful management. Broussais considered inflammation of the mucous coat of the stomach and intestines as the proximate cause of the phenomena of fever.

Inflammation of the intestine.

Inflammation of the intestine, especially of its mucous coat.