Report on Liver-Rot. 
181 
to spread the parasite over thousands of acres to which it has 
for half a century been a stranger. 
South of Stratford, along the Avon banks, many flocks were 
decimated early in 1880. Even on well- managed farms 
previously sound, and where dry food is freely used, such as that 
of Mr. John Adkins, Milcote, numbers of sheep have been 
infested. Mr. Adkins lost about one-fifth of his home-bred 
ewes, apparently contaminated by occasional grazing on the 
fhioded meadows. Good feeding and penning on the arable land 
at night seemed to ward off mischief during 1879, and it was 
only in June 1880 that disease appeared. 
Lower down the Avon, at Broad Marston, Mr. C. Corhett 
has been an extensive sufferer. Without experience of the 
complaint in former years, during 1879 and 1880 he lost about 
500 sheep. Ewes were worst affected, but neither lambs nor 
any sort of sheep escaped ; they have shown symptoms usually 
in September or October, indicating that the parasite had been 
picked up by Midsummer or soon after. Sound ewes bought 
August 5th began dying in December. Mr. Corbett considers 
that he has scarcely a pasture-field that for two years could be 
trusted to carry sheep. Even some of the clover leys are not 
now safe. There are no stagnant pools, but the land is con- 
stantly surcharged with water. Better outfalls through which 
the heavy rains can be carried off and thorough draining he 
regards as the only remedies. He has had many cows, bullocks, 
and younger cattle affected, and a calf of nine weeks old, house- 
fed and receiving nothing but its mother's milk and a little flour, 
when slaughtered, disclosed several Hukes in its liver. Both 
hares and rabbits have died rotten in great numbers. 
Worcestershire reveals much the same story as Warwick- 
shire. On the Severn and other valleys, and on all the heavier 
wetter lands serious widespread losses have occurred. Most of the 
farmers who congregate at Evesham market have had sad ex- 
perience of attacks during the autumn and winter of the last two 
years. If there is rather less loss during the past than the previous 
year it mainly results from the reduced number of sheep. Ewes 
clearing up the bullock pastures, often run more thickly than 
the tegs, seldom receive dry food so early in autumn, and 
having besides their strength tried by gestation and nursing, 
contribute the largest number of cases. Interesting instances 
requiring personal investigation and corroboration occur of 
portions of a flock run for a few days over flooded meadows 
and becoming rotten and dying within three months. Cases 
are mentioned of part of the ewe flock kept for six weeks or two 
months on the stubbles, and remaining sound, while the residue 
left on the old pastures are all dead. Numerous instances have 
