33 



Armley, the cowman noticed certain signs of illness, which he could not 

 account for, the animal having the same diet as the other cows ; 

 and this state of things gradually gi'ew worse. The only abnornal 

 appearance noticed was a bulging enlargement of the abdominal cavity, 

 which became more observable as the animal lost her condition, but 

 there were no symptoms to lead him to suspect that the liver was 

 involved — a very strange fact indeed. Notwithstanding all the efforts of 

 the surgeon, the animal became in less than a fortnight so extremely 

 emaciated, that the owner consented to have her slaughtered, in order to 

 have a post-mortem examination of the body. As soon as the abdominal 

 muscles were divided, a huge sac was disclosed, which proved to be the 

 liver, or what had been doing duty for that organ. It was attached to the 

 abdominal wall and to the diaphragm by thick and tough fibrous cords 

 and bands of white tissue. After it was detached it was placed on the 

 scales, and turned them at the astounding weight of 157 lb., or 11 st. 3 lb. 

 On examination, the organ was found to contain only a few pounds of 

 real hepatic substance. He had submitted specimens of this abnormality 

 to several other veterinary surgeons, and to Professor Williams, of 

 the New Veterinary College, Edinburgh, who informed him that it 

 was a most valuable specimen of the Echinococcus veterinorum, which 

 gives rise to the small tape-worm of the dog, the Tanta echinococcus. 

 Several microscopic slides, illustrative of various portions of this worm, 

 had been prepared by B. Holgate, and were exhibited. On making a 

 section through the organ, it was found to be almost entirely occupied by 

 oysts or bladders of various sizes, filled with a clear straw-coloured liquid 

 with little or no odour. All the larger cysts were evidently brood cysts, 

 as in some instances they contained a multitude of secondary vesicles. 

 The walls of the larger cavities were very dense, and from this fact 

 Professor Williams was of opinion that the disease had been in existence 

 for a long time, probably for years. A number of these small cysts were 

 also found on the surface of the lungs, but their presence there was 

 inexplicable. The lecturer then gave an outline of the life-history of this 

 form of Tsenia, which he stated was in its full-grown form very prevalent in 

 both man and dogs in the far North — among the Icelanders and Esquimaux. 

 Though the animal is so small — never exceeding one-sixteenth of an 

 inch in length — it is, perhaps, the most dangerous of the whole tribe 

 of Cestoda, either in its hydatid or matured form, to the host which bears 

 them. The grave accounts received from Iceland, especially of the ravages 

 of this parasite (nearly 30 per cent, of the deaths occurring there being 

 directly attributable to it) make one hope that such a dreadful disease may 

 never become common in this country. 



The reading of the paper was followed by a discussion, in which the 

 President, the lecturer, and Messrs. Paul, Prince, Eussell, and others took 

 part. 



