32 



The Rot in Sheep. 



the abomasum — the digestive stomach. This parasite, which 

 was originally named by us Filaria hamata, has since been 

 called the Strongylus contortus. These strongyles, to the extent 

 of many hundreds, fix themselves by inserting their heads into the 

 mucous membrane of the stomach, and are thus enabled to keep 

 their hold without much effort, despite the peristaltic action of 

 the organ, by the formation immediately behind their heads of 

 four barbs, whose points are directed backwards, after the manner 

 of a fish-hook. The symptoms arising from the presence of 

 these parasites are remarkably akin to those of rot, consisting 

 principally of long-continued wasting of the affected animal, 

 which ultimately leads to dropsy and death. Surely these cases 

 should not — because their progress, symptoms, and fatality are 

 so analogous to those of rot — be designated by that name : if so, 

 it will require but another step for it to be boldly asserted that 

 sheep take rot, and die therefrom, when fed on the richest and 

 best food, when located, bred, or reared on the lightest land, and 

 when exposed to a long prevalence of the driest weather ; for, 

 as before stated, it frequently happens that under all these 

 cicumstances these parasites abound in the digestive stomach of 

 the sheep. 



To proceed. It is important to remember, as bearing on the 

 pathology of rot, that flukes not unfrequently locate themselves 

 even in young lambs, and so impair the structure of the liver by 

 their number as quickly to destroy the animals — often before 

 the true cause is suspected. The first case of this kind wdiich 

 was brought under our notice occurred in September 1853, 

 when we received from an amateur pupil of the Veterinary 

 College, then residing at Redgrave in Suffolk, portions of the 

 liver of two lambs which had died on a farm in the parish after 

 a few days' illness. The lambs were " black-faced Norfolks," 

 and had been bred on heathland near to Thetford, where rot 

 may practically be said to be unknown. They had been 

 removed to their new home just six weeks before their illness, 

 and were at once placed on fen-land, part of which was a perfect 

 bog. Their death, as stated, was comparatively sudden, and 

 the gentleman who sent the specimens found in each case, on 

 making a post-mortem examination, that a serous effusion had 

 taken place into the cavity of the abdomen, and that the liver 

 presented well-marked indications of disease. 



We were at once struck with the remarkable softness or pulpy 

 condition of the liver, and on a closer examination we ascer- 

 tained that many of the bile-ducts were filled with minute 

 entozoa, which proved on microscopical examination to be 

 young flukes. The presence of these parasites in such numbers, 

 and in animals so young, had, contrary to the general rule, 



