Tumors of different kinds have been found in the walls of these organs,
though by no means frequently. Epithelial hypertrophy and papilloma have
been found in the ox the former undergoing necrotic changes. Chondroma
is reported by Kitt, Sarcoma by Cadeac and Beylot. There seems to have
been a special tendency to invade the demicanal, and to interfere with
deglutition, rumination, and the passage of food into the third stomach.
The impairment and loss of appetite and of rumination, the presence of
tympany, and the general loss of condition are suggestive. If the
disease of the demicanal leads to antiperistaltic movements of the
œsophagus which can be felt by the hands pressed on the jugular furrows
the diagnosis may possibly be made.
_Treatment_ is manifestly hopeless. To be effective it must be surgical
and would too often entail excision of the affected part of the viscus
and careful suture of its walls. This would be even more hopeless when
the demicanal was the seat of disease.
Temporary palliation might be secured by a sloppy diet, the withholding
of all rough food which would demand rumination, and the use of common
salt, saline laxatives and abundance of water.