would fall away from the bloodvessel and the pulsations
would cease, whereas, in the case of an aneurism, pulsa-
tion would still continue. The mobility of an aneurism
involving the superior or inferior mesenteric arteries,
will assist in distinguishing it from one affecting the
aorta itself. The superior mesenteric artery may be plug-
ged by anembolus—a condition which generally ends
fatally. This vessel supplies the whole length of the small
intestine with the exception of the upper part of the duode-
num, which is supplied by the pancreatico-duodenalis supe-
rior. The superior mesenteric is, therefore, distributed to
the ceecum, ascending and transverse portions of the colon,
and the small intestine, and is, to all intents, a “terminal”
artery, since the territory supplied by it is so great, and the
-anastomosis, that takes place between it and the branches
of the hepatic, inferior mesenteric, lumbar, ilio-lumbar,
etc., is so insignificant, that, when an embolus does
lodge in the vessel, it shuts off the circulation from nearly
the whole of the intestines, with the result that, among
other symptoms, there is intense pain. This pain, like
that of intestinal obstruction, is referred to the region of
the umbilicus. Static or moist gangrene may take place
in the territory from which the arterial blood supply is
shut off by the embolus. This is dependent on the back-
flow from the veins. When an embolus lodges in the
inferior mesenteric vessel, conditions similar to the above
may result.
