Parasites of the Liver. 355 



tible. The blood may sometimes appear dark in contrast with the 

 pallor of the mucosa. The skin soon becomes pale and bloodless, 

 devoid of its normal ruddy hue and unctuous secretion, and harsh, 

 dry and scally on the hairless parts, under the belly or inside the 

 arms or thighs. The wool is dry and lustreless and easily pulled 

 out. The muscles waste and shrink, the .spines stand out as 

 a prominent ridge, (razor-back), and the hip bones are prominent 

 and angular The subcutaneous fat disappears so that when 

 pinched up the skin feels like two thin membranes (paper skin). 

 Manipulation of the loins may cause crepitation from gas bubbles. 

 The flank falls in beneath the loins, and the abdomen becomes 

 baggy, pendulous and fluctuating from dropsical effusion. This 

 will change its' position always keeping the most dependent part 

 when the patient is made to assume different po.sitions (ventral, 

 dorsal, sitting or suspended by the hind limbs). With the ascites 

 there comes marked drooping of the back and loins (hollow- 

 backed). Similar drop,sical effusions follow in the , chest, and 

 under the skin beneath the chest and abdomen and betv/een the 

 branches of the lower jaw (poke, chockered). This last is fullest 

 after grazing and lessens under a night's rest in the fold with the 

 head elevated. 



With the muscular wasting, weakness and debility become ex- 

 treme, the affected sheep drag behind the flock, are ea.sily caught 

 and scarcely struggle when seized. The head becomes pendent, 

 the expression of the face haggard, dejected and hopele,ss, and 

 the respiration quick and labored on exertion. Abortions are 

 frequent, and the milk is thin, watery and unfit to support a 

 lamb. The liquor amnii is thin, watery, white and often inter- 

 spersed with air bubbles. The temperature is variable. Appe- 

 tite is irregular and capricious, ardent thir.st is common and 

 diarrhoea may alternate with constipation. This may depend on 

 sympathetic irritation of the bowels, or on alternate blocking, and 

 discharge from, the biliary ducts. 



The most conclusive symptom is the discovery of the myriads 

 of fluke ova in the faeces. A magnifying power of 70 to 80 diam- 

 eters will reveal them. 



Duration. The course of the disease will vary according to 

 whether the conditions of life are good or bad, or as the parasites 

 are few or many. When the weather is cold or variable, the 



