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XIV. — Report on Liver-Rot. By Finlay Dun, 2, Portland 
Place, London. 
A SUCCESSION of wet seasons has spread liver-rot widely througli 
most of the midland, western and southern counties of England. 
The average rainfall over most of this area for 1879 and 1880 
considerably exceeds 30 inches, which is fully one- fourth over the 
average. In Birmingham and various of the midland counties 
it reached 36 inches. A similarly augmented rainfall occurred in 
1877 and 1879 throughout most parts of Ireland. The English 
rainfall in the first and second quarters of 1879 and 1880 was spe- 
cially abundant ; it reached nearly 10 inches over an average ; 
3 inches of rain repeatedly fell within twenty-four hours, pro- 
ducing disastrous summer floods. The number of rainy days was 
increased, the amount of sunshine diminished. These unusual 
meteorological conditions have exerted untoward effects on the 
health of live-stock. Wet lodgings are detrimental both for man 
and beast. The land, supersaturated and chilled, produced coarser 
and rougher herbage ; the finer grasses languished and were de- 
stroyed ; fodder and grain were imperfectly matured. Although 
thus inimical to the higher animals, the excessive moisture 
favoured the development of a lower order of beings. Mould 
and ergot have extended amongst plants. Bronchial filarial 
have been unusually prevalent among both young cattle and 
sheep. Still more notably flukes — Fasciola liepatica — have 
multiplied, and distributed themselves, producing liver-rot. 
The heavy clay soils, imperfectly drained, and land subject to 
frequent flooding even in dry seasons, furnish occasional cases 
of flukes in the liver. The parasitic breed is thus preserved. 
With the droppings of the sheep, the eggs, especially during the 
spring months, are spread on the grass. A wet furrow, a springy 
spot, or the neighbourhood of a stagnant pool, affords suitable 
hatching-ground, and a fitting nursery for the earlier stages of 
the fluke. With " water, water everywhere," the embryo flukes 
by and by find abundance of the slugs into which they make 
their way, are lodged, and, during winter, pass safely through 
one of their transmigrations. In many localities slugs, both 
grey and black, during the last two years, are stated to have 
been unusually numerous ; the flukes and their molluscan hosts 
multiplied enormously on the soft, soaked, spongy soils ; the 
area of infection was widened. 
With these several favouring conditions, flukes developed and 
spread as they have not done in this country since 1829 and 
1830. They have extended over land and amongst flocks which 
for fifty years have been exempt. They have been carried on 
