SECTION VIII 



DISEASES OF THE LIVER 



Inflammation and necrosis of the liver as seen in many of 

 the infectious diseases have already been referred to under 

 the discussions of these different diseases, as chicken cholera, 

 lilackhead, tuberculosis, etc. Aside from diseases of the liver 

 due to infection, the commonest cause of ailments of this :)r- 

 ccan is improper feeding. It is with great difficulty that dis- 

 eases of the liver can be recognized except upon postmortem 

 examination. Treatment, as a rule, is useless. 



FATTY DEGENERATION 



There is a disease process in the protoplasm of the liver 

 cells, by which the normal secreting cells of the liver are to 

 a greater or less extent replaced by fat cells. The liver is 

 smaller than normal, unless fatty infiltration is also present; 

 it appears slightly yellowish, and when cut through with a 

 knife, the blade of the instrument will have a greasy appear- 

 ance, due to the fat that adheres to it. 



Sijmpfoms. — Birds affected with fatty degeneration of the 

 liver show varied symptoms, but ordinarily they are dull, eat 

 little and the comb turns dark to black. They gradually be- 

 come thin in flesh and finally die. Usually the bird will live 

 from two or three weeks to three months after the symptoms 

 first appear. On autopsy all organs as a rule appear normal 

 except the liver. 



Treatment. — There is very little that can be done for this 

 condition. Podophyllin in one-grain doses every three days 

 may be given with some hope of relief. 



FATTY INFILTRATION 



This condition may be a physiological or normal process 

 until the accumulation of fat occurs in such quantities as to 

 interfere with the function of the liver cells. 



The liver is one of the so-called storehouses of the body for 

 fat. In it is stored a surplus until needed by the body for 

 use (for combustion for the production of heat and energy) 



Overfed hens, or those closely housed and not forced to 

 work, or fed too heavily on carbohydrates (starchy feeds) 

 store up much of the surplus nutrition in the liver as well 



