Report on Liver-Rot. 
143 
they had living flukes in them, which had eaten large holes in 
them. I fear I have one or two others affected. One large pig 
I killed whose liver was in the same condition. Mr. C. White, 
my neighbour, has lost some beasts and 142 breeding ewes. 
Many more farmers in this neighbourhood have lost hundreds 
of sheep. It seems worse amongst the breeding ewes than with 
the young sheep. We have a large quantity of brook-land ; 
animals are more affected there than on the upper lands. The 
cause, we believe, was the wet summer of 1879, the food being 
continually wet. Ten breeding ewes were taken from 150 last 
autumn, and put on the high lands. These are now alive with 
their lambs. The 140 which were kept on the brook-land are 
all dead." 
Mr. Selines, writing from Newenden, Ashford, states : " The 
losses from sheep-rot in this neighbourhood have in some cases 
been very heavy. I know farmers who have lost 500 to 1000, 
and even to 2000 sheep. A considerable proportion of these 
losses have been among sheep and lambs that have been sent 
out to keep for the winter into parts of west Sussex and Surrey. 
Those kept in Romney Marsh during the autumn and winter of 
1880 have in most cases proved sound. This I attribute to the 
porous nature of much of the subsoil, and I also am inclined to 
think that land reclaimed from the sea retains sufficient saline 
properties to act as a preventive. With regard to the theory of 
the embryo fluke being taken up with snails, I am unable to 
give an opinion ; but that it comes from sheep feeding in low 
and undrained pastures during exceptionally wet seasons is 
proved by all experience. I have heard of some instances of 
cattle dying from rot, and the butchers assure me that nearly all 
the cattle they slaughter have flukes in their livers. I have 
heard of no horses being affected." 
Mr. James Hartridge, Bockingfold, Zalding, states that " in 
the parishes of Zalding, Brenchley, Horsemonden, Goudhurst, 
Staplehurst, Smarden " — parishes in the Weald of Kent, com- 
prising an area of about 34,000 acres — " I should estimate the 
loss at ten to twelve per cent. I believe there are two kinds of 
liver-rot, the most common depending on the flukes ; but early 
in the late winter many sheep went off rapidly with enlarged 
whitish livers. This form, in which no flukes are found, is 
stated by some to be the most rapid in its progress. I have 
strong reasons for believing that fluke-rot, discovered in time, 
may be got over, that is to say, by a liberal supply of corn and 
cake, given well salted, and a handful of salt put down the 
throat once a week. I am trying this. Great losses result from 
insufficient keeping, when first affected. The land with us 
which appears to produce the fluke is wet, heavy land from 
