532 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



herbage was scanty and where they could roam at freedom. On 

 the next morning, however, another ewe was found dead. When 

 the body was examined after death, the belly was found to con- 

 tain a large quantity of sero-sanguineous fluid, and all the 

 viscera were congested, some being nearly black. The vense 

 portse and the contiguous portion of the posterior vena cava in 

 the belly were distended with coagulated blood. The spleen 

 was greatly enlarged. The biliary ducts and the gall bladder 

 were full of bile, and the liver, as in the lamb, was large and 

 dark coloured, owing to its vessels and ducts being full. The 

 lungs were greatly congested, and the heart was very large. 

 Both the right auricle and the right ventricle contained a great 

 amount of coagulated blood, which indeed was also present in 

 the large vessels going into and issuing from them, most 

 especially the anterior and posterior venee cavee and the coronary 

 veins. The right auricle, when freed from its contents, also 

 showed ecchymosed spots in its muscular structure, beneath the 

 lining membrane. The left side of the heart contained only a 

 little black blood. 



With regard to treatment it may be said that sulphate of iron 

 seems to be in certain cases one of the best remedies. By way 

 of prevention, a constant supply of salt, either given with chaff 

 or in the form of rock-salt placed in troughs has been recom- 

 mended. Another writer advised one ounce of salt, a quarter of a 

 pint of water, and half a tablespoonful of turpentine. This might 

 be well mixed in quantity for the number, and should be freely 

 shaken before being used. 



The late Professor Robertson recorded that the shepherd may 

 at times remark that " this or that lamb cannot live, it is pocking 

 at the navel." The belly is pendulous, as a result of the pre- 

 sence of a turbid fluid in the peritoneal cavity. Shreds of fibrin 

 float in this fluid. The umbilical cord is greatly enlarged, it is 

 soft, flabby, and has its vessels filled with dark blood. Instead 

 of the development of the ligamentous cord extending to the 

 liver, a chain of cysts is developed extending from the umbilicus 

 to the liver, and these cysts contain pus mixed with tubercular 

 matter. The liver, too, shows pustular and tubercular growths, 

 as also do the omentum and mesentric glands, owing to which 

 the belly comes to contain a purulent serous fluid, and to 

 become pendulous. It is really often the best course to have 



