GROUSE DISEASE 579 



washing away the flocculent matter, which can only be effected 

 with time, the mucosa frequently appears reddened. There 

 was no reason to believe this inflammatory state is due to post- 

 mortem changes. The ridges which run along the walls of the 

 caeca become thickened, the villi, as a rule, greatly hypertrophied 

 (in other cases atrophied) and both villi and ridges were 

 embedded in the above-mentioned cementing material and seem 

 to be composed of a mixture of mucous and granular debris. 

 Numerous Strongyles were seen adhering to the mucous mem- 

 brane and seem in places frequently to penetrate the villi. In 

 some of the most serious cases the ridges were found to resemble 

 masses of coral with cave-like depressions between the indi- 

 vidual villi which frequently ceased to be distinguishable ; from 

 these depressions one or more Strongyli protruded. In section 

 the epithelium was seen to be hypertrophied. The muscular 

 wall suffered from an infiltration of fibrous tissue. The fat 

 which normally lies at the bases of the ridges in a healthy 

 grouse had disappeared and the blood-vessels showed thicken- 

 ings of their walls. The connective-tissue base of the ridges is 

 greatly increased and the vessels and the villi were dilated and 

 probably increased in number. In most places the connective 

 tissue contained a large number of cells probably inflammatory 

 in origin, and in some cases fibroid change was taking place. 

 The epithelium was proliferated and thrown into folds. The 

 lymphoid follicles were indistinguishable. 



The general condition of a grouse suffering from Strongylosis 

 shows evidences of a chronic inflammation of the alimentary 

 canal leading to fibrosis. The Triclwstrougylus in some cases 

 penetrates to the deepest portions of the crypt. The epithelium 

 lining these depressions when the round-worm is adjacent to the 

 walls of the intestine has greatly altered and there is a marked 

 increase in the fibrous tissue at its base. 



In fact we have, as Dr. Cobbett and Dr. Graham Smith, who 

 have so ably worked out the pathology of Strongylosis and 

 whose results have appeared in the Joitrnal oj Hygiene^ say, 

 "a chronic inflammation leading to fibrosis." This portion of 

 the alimentary canal is, in Sydney Smith's words, both " vext " 

 and "agitated." 



It thus appears that the presence of these Strongyli leads 

 to a chronic inflammation of the caeca and to fibrosis. The 

 normal functions of these very important organs, the caeca, are 



