542 Auiiiial Parasites of the Liver. 



of lymplio-sarcoiiiata, and very often there is a marked increase 

 in the weight of the organ. In the dog, the lesions somethnes 

 have a central depression, and thus to some extent resemble 

 cancer growths. In sucking animals, it is more or less likely 

 that the disease will only he recognized if, in addition to tuber- 

 culous lesions in other organs, enlargement of the liver and a 

 nodular condition of that organ can be discovered. 



The lesions of actinomycosis are similar except that they consist of 

 a fil)roiis capsule enclosing a yellowish, soft, gelatinous tissue which is 

 hecoming purulent at places, and in which the actinomyces can be found 

 by microscopic examination. 



13. Animal Parasites of the Liver. 

 Echinococci. 



Occurrence. In cattle and pigs echinococci are of very fre- 

 quent occurrence but rare in solipeds and carnivora. The par- 

 asite is also found in man and in turkeys. 



The distribution of echinococcosis is intimately related to the number of 

 dogs and the frequency with which they are hosts of the tsenia echinococcus. In 

 Ireland and, according to Vidal, in Tunis also there is scarcely an adult ox or 

 sheep that does not harbor echinococci. The diseas-o is also widespread in 

 Australia and India (lO'/r of all bovines). in Europe, Mecklenburg appears to 

 be affected most seriously. Madelung and Sahlmann found 25 to SO'/r of cattle, 

 75% of sheep and 5 to .S% of pigs infested. Metelmann found echinococci in 

 25% of cattle, 15% of sheep and 5% of pigs. 



According to the statistics of 52 German slaughter houses drawn up by 

 Peiper 11% of cattle, 10% of sheep and 6.5% of pigs were affected. In 1S96-97 

 at the Berlin abattoirs the livers of 1,156 cattle, 1,9:59 sheep and 5,398 pigs were 

 seized out of a total number of 146,612 cattle, 895,769 sheep and 694,170 piga 

 (Ostertag). According to Liingrich the percentages of animals found to be in- 

 fested at the abattoirs at Eostock were 36%, cattle, 26.5% sheep and 5% pigs. 

 In goats and horses the number was 1%. At Stettin, Olt found 7.1% of cattle, 25.8% 

 of sheep and 7.3% of pigs affected. Schmidt calculates the annual loss in cattle 

 to amount to $37,500. At Budapest during the period 1899-1903 out of 511,031 

 cattle killed (including 20,000 buffaloes) there were 7,622 cases or 1.4%; 3,755 

 cases were found among 90,883 sheep (4.1%), and 5,105 out of 474,401 pigs or 

 1.1%. At Prague the percentage of affected cattle amounted to 23.2%. and of 

 sheep 5.5% (Prettner). In Eussia the incidence of the jtarasite varies from 

 0.1 to 80% in cattle, 0.01 to 60% in sheep, from 0.01 to 70^^ in pigs and from 0.005 

 to 40% in horses. 



Lichtenf eld 's investigations regarding the distribution of the parasite in 

 the various organs are very interesting. These showed that the lungs were affected 

 in cattle in 69.3% of cases, the liver in 27%, the spleen 2.2%, heart 0.75% and 

 kidneys in 0.75%. In the sheep the figures were: lungs 52.2%, liver 44.9%, 

 spleen 2.9%. In the pig the figures were: lungs 18.8%, liver 73.1%, spleen 

 2.95%, and heart and kidneys in 2.25%. In 1.3% of cases there were parasites 

 in the subperitoneal tissue. In the horse the lungs were involved in 5.5'7(, and the 

 liver in 94.5% of cases. It was also shown that in pigs under two years old the 

 proportion between the number of cases in which the lungs were affected and 

 those in which the liver was affected is 12.8:82. In adult animals the proportion 

 was 39.3:46.4. 



Echinococcus disease is comparatively frequent in man. In the central parts 

 of Europe 1 case is seen in 130 postmortems. Echinococcus multilocularis is prac- 

 tically confinftd to places where cattle are principally affected (Tyrol, Inntal and 

 the Menuningen district in Bavaria), whereas E. polymorphus is seen in those places 

 where sheep are the principal hosts (Iceland, Australia, Mecklenburg, Pomerania, 

 Dalmatia, Argentine). 



