50 ■ DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Plate IV. Microscopic anatomy of the liver — Continued. 



the liver; d d, the position of the liver cells between the meshes of 

 the capillaries ; A A, branches of the hepatic artery to the interlobular 

 connective tissue and the walls of the large veins and large bile 

 ducts. These branches are seen at r r and form the vena vascularis; 

 V V, vena vascularis; i i, branches of the hepatic artery entering the 

 substance of the lobule and connecting with capillaries from the inter- 

 lobular vein. The use of the hepatic artery is to nourish the liver, 

 while the other vessels carry blood to be modified by the liver cells in 

 certain important directions; g, branches of the bile ducts, carrying 

 bile from the various lobules into the gall bladder and into the intes- 

 tines ; X X, intralobular bile capillaries between the liver cells. These 

 form a network of very minute tubes surrounding each ultimate cell, 

 which receives the bile as it is formed by the liver cells and carried 

 outward as described. 

 Fig. 2. Isolated liver cells : c, blood capillary ; a, fine bile capillary channel. 



Plate V. Ergot in hay: 1, bluegrass ; 2, timothy; 3, wild rye; 4, redtop. 

 Ergot is a fungus which may affect any member of the grass family. 

 The spore of the fungus, by some means brought in contact with the 

 undeveloped seed of the grass, grows, obliterates the .seed, and prac- 

 tically takes its place. When hay affected with ergot is fed to animals 

 it is productive of a characteristic and serious affection or poisoning 

 known as ergotism. 



Plate VI, Ergotism, or the effects of ergot. The lower part of the limb of a 

 cow, showing the loss of skin and flesh in a narrow ring around the 

 pastern bone and the exposure of the bone itself. 



