70 
EXTRACTS FROM MY CASE BOOK. 
A VERMINOUS DISEASE AMONG LAMBS. 
By the same . 
September 6th. 1841. — I was requested to look at a flock of 
lambs, about fifty of which appeared to suffer from violent diar- 
rhoea. Two of the same flock having already died, I proceeded 
to examine them. 
The first stomach contained only a small quantity of imperfect- 
ly masticated food. The second and third were contracted and 
empty. The fourth or true stomach contained only a small quantity 
of mucus and sand ; but there were several large patches of inflam- 
mation on its villous membrane. The small intestines contained 
thousands of the folded tape-worm ( tenia plicata), and about 
twenty-five of the large round worms ( ascaris lumbricoides ), with a 
large quantity — several ounces — of sand. I regret much not having 
weighed it. The villous membrane was in a stage approaching 
to sphacelus. Is this produced as follows? The vermis causing 
irritation of the stomach and intestines, induced *by sympathy a 
depraved appetite (pica) — sand is licked up, and the effect of 
this foreign body on the intestines is inflammation and its sequelae. 
This however is a mere conjecture of mine. The rectum contained 
chyme and mucus of a grass green hue. The other contents of 
the abdomen and pelvis were perfectly healthy, as were those of 
the thoracic cavity. I next examined the living animals, and 
found about fifty of them in a sad pickle about and under the tail, 
from frequently passing mucous faeces. The faeces were of a grass 
green colour, and not in the least foetid or bloody. The animals 
ate but little food, and were usually found lying, evidently suffer- 
ing much abdominal pain, and all of them reduced to mere skin 
and bone. 
My first advice was, to make a total change in the diet. The 
following medicine was first tried : — ol. ricini §j, pulv. opii gr. iij, 
amyli. jj, aquae bullientis q. s., fiat haustus. Thin starch, night 
and morning, was also ordered to be given. 
7th. — The lambs are certainly better: continue the medicine. 
1 Yth. — The irritation of the stomach and intestines being to a 
certain extent removed, I ventured to give the following stimu- 
lant, for the purpose of destroying, if possible, some of the parasites : 
ol. lini Jij, ol. terebinth, fiat haustus. One dose only was 
given to some of them, others required two, and a few had three or 
four in the course of the following month, and then all were well. 
This is blowing hot and cold with a vengeance, some will ex- 
claim ; but the result gave me the pleasure of saying “all’s well 
that ends well for, on the day after the first draught was given, 
