APPEARANCES ON DISSECTION. 



201 



behind the flock, ascends a slope with difficult}', and 

 has a hstiess, heavy, pithless appearance. Cough 

 varying in frequency and violence, but extremely ha- 

 rassing, is present at every period of the disease, and is 

 ways increased on the slightest exertion.* At first 

 this is accompanied by expectoration of the mucus of 

 of the air tubes ; but in no long time purulent matter, 

 indicative of more extensive inroads on the constitu- 

 tion, begins to be coughed up, and goes on increasing 

 in quantity and becoming worse in quality till the ter- 

 mination of the disease. The wool becomes fine, 

 white, thin, and brittle in the pile, and is easily brought 

 away in masses by the slightest pull. The appetite is, 

 throughout the disease, voracious, and though all the bad 

 symptoms may be present, still the animal keeps up an 

 appearance of plumpness. This, however, is hollow and 

 deceitful, and the rapid loss of flesh which immediately 

 succeeds, shows with what insidious certainty the 

 malady has been progressing. Owing to the falling oflf 



flesh and in fat, the neck appears to have acquired 

 .dditional length, and the eyes to have sunk within the 

 head. Sooner or later the skin beneath the neck be- 

 comes distended with serous fluid, and from this the 

 disease has acquired the name of Poke. The word, 

 however, is far from applicable, as it might, vvith equal 

 propriety, stand for any other disease attended with 

 dropsical accumulations. Violent purging soon termi- 

 nates the disease, death being generally preceded by 

 the evacuation of a quantity of blackish matter. 



(161.) Appearances on Dissection. Tiie first thing 



♦ It is quite pcssible that a sheep may die of true pulmonary cou. 

 sumption and yet have scarcely any cough. 



