DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 729 



palnilum passing tlirough the liver, causing a smaller demand for 

 and diminished afflux of portal blood, wasting and absorption of 

 the lobular structure, leaving masses of the connective tissue, 

 which waste less rapidly than the secreting ones ; this change 

 being similar to atrophy, as it occurs in muscular tissue, and 

 due to similar causes, namely, imperfection in the quality and 

 diminution in the quantity of the blood. 



The cases to be immediately described support this latter 

 view, and that in all probability the atrophic change may also 

 be partly due to the liver not being called upon to perform its 

 function, owing to the animals having been kept in a state of 

 semi-starvation. The cases referred to are as follows : — In the 

 month of January 1873 Mr. James C. Dixon, veterinary surgeon, 

 Eothbury, Northumberland, forwarded a sample of urine from 

 a mare, requesting my opinion as to the nature of her disease. 

 After duly examining the urine, I expressed an opinion that the 

 animal was suffering from some affection of the liver, and wrote 

 for a description of the symptoms. Mr. Dixon replied that he 

 saw the mare on the 7th December 1872 ; it was then dull, 

 hanging its head, and off its feed ; the breathing slightly 

 accelerated ; the pulse eighty, small and feeble, but there was 

 no cough ; the breath was rather fcetid ; the bowels regular. In 

 the course of a few days the pulse was down to forty-four, and 

 it was much improved, the bowels regular ; but at this time Mr. 

 Dixon ceased visiting it. Shortly afterwards he was told that 

 it drank too much water, and passed large quantities of urine. 

 An examination of the food showed that both the hay and corn 

 were very mouldy and bad. By this time it had lost much 

 flesh, and w^as " awfully tucked up " in the flanks. The eyes 

 were quite yellow, the faeces light coloured, glazed, and having 

 a very oflensive smell; the urine of a deep amber tint, and 

 passed in great quantities. It continued alternately better 

 and worse for some time, but losing much flesh. Mr. Dixon 

 says, " I never saw an animal lose condition so fast in my life, 

 except cattle when in the advanced stages of red water. After 

 death," Mr. Dixon says, " the liver seemed dyed with bile. I have 

 seen grocers have coarse paper the colour of this liver." A 

 portion of this liver was sent to me, and found to be iden- 

 tical in appearance with the indurated liver of the human 

 being. Externally the organ was more or less roughened ia 



