378 DISEASES OF SHEEP". 



pearance in Great Britain the very wet years 1852-53. 

 The symptoms by which this disease can be detected in 

 its early stage are very latent; but if there are suspi- 

 cions of this disease it can readily be detected by the 

 color of the mucous membranes ; as the fauces of the 

 mouth; the appendages of the eye being of a pale yel- 

 low; the animal costive and the urine of a high color, 

 thus indicating disease of the liver. As the disease is 

 more advanced there is little difficulty in coming to a 

 true and proper diagnosis of the case, as all the muscu- 

 lar fibre assumes a uniform yellow brown color, and the 

 wool has a matted and dry appearance, and subsequent- 

 ly the muscles waste and digestion is impaired, and at 

 length the animal dies in from two to four months. 

 Where a flock of sheep do not thrive and acquire fat 

 and flesh on good feed and pasture, why, something must 

 be wrong, and the sooner it is found out the better, as they 

 may have acquired the disease before they were bought. 

 The better way would be to have one of the worst ones 

 brought in and destroyed, and then have a thorough 

 examination, which will set every thing to rest, and point 

 out the line of duty which is open to be pursued in the 

 treatment and prevention of the disease ere it be too 

 late to then do good. 



It is very frequent in wet seasons, and in wet and un- 

 drained lands. It is characterized by an enlarged and 

 softened condition of the liver, and accumulation of the 

 common fluke (distomum hepaticum,) in the biliary duots 

 and gall bladder. 



Post-mortem appearances show most clearly that the 

 nature and extent of the disease, as before mentioned, 

 will be found a large number of these flukes in the liver 

 and that organ very much enlarged, soft, and flabby; 



