SECTION VIII 



Diseases of the Liver 



Inflammation and necrosis of the liver as seen 

 in many of the infectious diseases have already 

 been referred to under the discussions of these 

 different diseases, as chicken cholera, blackhead, 

 tuberculosis, etc. Aside from diseases of the liver 

 due to infection, the commonest cause of ailments 

 of this organ is improper feeding. It is with great 

 difficulty that diseases of the liver can be recog- 

 nized except upon postmortem examination. 

 Treatment, as a rule, is useless. 



Fatty Degeneration 



This is a condition in which there is a disease 

 process in the protoplasm of the liver cells, by 

 which the normal secreting cells of the liver are 

 to a greater or less extent replaced by fat cells. 

 The liver is smaller than normal, unless fatty 

 infiltration is also present; it appears slightly yel- 

 lowish, and when cut through the blade of the 

 knife will have a greasy appearance, due to the 

 fat that adhers to it. 



Symptoms. — Birds affected with fatty degenera 

 tion of the liver show varied symptoms, but usu- 

 ally they are dull, eat little and the comb turns 

 dark to black. They gradually become thin in 

 flesh and finally die. Usually the bird will live 

 from two or three weeks to three months after 

 the symptoms first appear. On autopsy all or 

 gans usually appear normal except the liver. 



Treatment. — There is very little that can be done 

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