THE ROT. 373 



red, and the wool Is easily separated from the pelt ; and as 

 the disorder advances the skin becomes dappled with yellow 

 or black spots. To these symptoms succeed increased dull- 

 ness, loss of condition, greater paleness of the mucous 

 membranes, the eyelids becoming almost white and afterward 

 yellow. This yellowness extends to other parts of the body, 

 and a watery fluid appears under the skin, which becomes 

 loose and flabby, the wool coming off" readily. The symptoms 

 of dropsy often extend over the body, and sometimes the 

 sheep becomes checkered, as it is termed a large swelling 

 forms under the jaw, which, from the appearances of the 

 fluid it contains, is in some places called the watery poke. 

 The duration of the disease is uncertain ; the animal occasion- 

 ally dies shortly after becoming aifected, but more frequently 

 it extends to from three to six months, the sheep gradually 

 losing flesh and pining away, particularly if, as is frequently 

 the case, an obstinate purging supei'venes." 



Mr. Youatt thus describes the post-mortem appearances : 

 " When a rotted sheep is examined after death, the whole 

 cellular tissue is found to be infiltrated, and a yellow serous 

 fluid everywhere follows the knife. The muscles are soft and 

 flabby : i they have the appearance of being macerated. The 

 kidneys are pale, flaccid and infiltrated. The mesenteric 

 glands enlarged, and engorged with yellow serous fluid. The 

 belly is frequently filled with water or purulent matter ; the 

 peritoneum is everywhere thickened, and the bowels adhere 

 together by means of an unnatural growth. The heart is 

 enlarged and softened, and the lungs are filled with tubercles. 

 The principal alterations of structure are in the liver. It is 

 pale, livid, and broken down Avith the slightest pressure ; and 

 on being boiled it will almost dissolve away. When the liver 

 is not pale, it is 'often curiously spotted. In some cases it is 

 speckled like the back of a toad. Nevertheless, some parts of 

 it are hard and schirrous; others are ulcerated, and the 

 biliary ducts are filled with flukes. Here is the decided seat 

 of disease, and it is here that the nature of the malady is to be 

 learned. It is inflammation of the liver. * * * The liver 

 "attracts the principal attention of the examiner ; it displays 

 the evident effects of acute and destructive inflammation ; and 

 still more plainly the ravages of the parasite with whi-ch its 

 ducts are crowded. Here is plainly the original seat of the 

 disease the center whence a destructive influence spreads on 

 every side. * * * The Fluke the Fasclola of LinnaBus 

 the Distoma hepaticum of Rhodolphi the Planaria ol 



