333 
THE VETERINARIAN, MAY 1, 1880. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.—C iceeo. 
DEVELOPMENT OE THE ELUKE. 
Any experiments which would throw light on whatever 
mystery remains in the life-history of the parasite which 
has been and is now doing such serious mischief to our 
flocks, would be accepted at their full value by scientific 
and practical men. Helminthologists have demonstrated 
that certain varities of flukes pass through stages of 
development before they become sufficiently advanced to 
occupy the alimentary organs of warm-blooded animals, and 
although it has not been shown that the liver fluke which 
infests the sheep undergoes the same series of transition in its 
progress from the egg to the tailed cercarian form and final 
maturity, as other members of the family, there is nothing in 
its habits or constitution to suggest a doubt that the crea¬ 
ture is subject to the developmental laws which govern its 
fellows. At any rate the contrary cannot be lightly assumed. 
Public interest has been exercised to an unusual degree by 
the accounts of severe losses which our flock masters have re¬ 
cently sustained, and every one has been anxious to suggest a 
remedy for the evil. As Mr. Howard recently said at an 
Agricultural Meeting : a If the farmer does not know his 
business it is not for the want of teachers from all classes 
of society.” There is, however, the consolation that no one 
is compelled to take the advice which is so very liberally 
offered on all sides. 
Opinions as to the cause, nature, treatment, and preven¬ 
tion of “ rot,” have been freely scattered in the pages of 
the daily press, and generally they have been of the usual 
haphazard character, and have doubtless been received by 
those for whose benefit they were intended with the usual 
amount of inattention, but a statement contained in a letter 
to the Times a few weeks ago, by Dr. John Harley, deserves 
a passing notice, on account of its contemptuous disregard of 
the results which have been arrived at by the distin- 
