Red Water in Cattle and Sheep 



65 



consistency of tar, when death is not far 

 distant. The first and after symptoms indi- 

 cate instant and copious bleeding, according 

 to the strength of the animal, and the imme- 

 diate administration of active purgatives, the 

 best of which is not less than i lb. Epsom 

 salts, mixed with ^ lb. treacle, and 2 oz. 

 ground ginger on thin gruel or warm water, 

 and half doses every three or four hours after- 

 wards, till purgation is effected. Sometimes 

 the constipation is so obstinate that it takes 

 three or four days before the bowels are 

 relieved ; but as no hope can be entertained 

 till purgation comes on, the administration 

 of the medicine must be persevered in, let- 

 ting it gently trickle down the throat from 

 the commencement, increasing the quantity 

 of ginger, and adding from one to two or 

 three tablespoonfuls of spirits of turpentine, 

 and 2 or 3 drachms of laudanum to the doses, 

 so as to act on the kidneys. 



During the above treatment, the strength of 

 the animal must be kept up by pouring 

 down well-boiled gruel, composed of equal 

 parts of fine oaten and linseed-meal ; and, if 

 the animal will eat, give fresh cut grass, 

 vetches, or sliced roots. As a rule, when 

 purgation is effected, the safety of the animal 

 is insured ; but the laxative state of the bowels 

 must be kept up by gentle medicines and 

 nourishing relaxing food, the best of which is 

 a mixture of bran and linseed meal, well 

 mashed with boiling water, and let stand till 

 luke warm. As the animal becomes con- 

 valescent, it must be gradually accustomed to 

 its usual food, and in increasing quantities. 



The term red water in sheep is generally 

 given to quite a difterent disease to that in 

 cattle, and is, in reality, dropsy, getting the 

 name red water from the colour of the 

 bloody fluid effused in the cavity of the belly, 

 and which comes on so suddenly from in- 

 flammation caused by cold and wet pastures, 

 and lying with the abdomen on the cold 

 ground, that it is no unusual thing to find 

 the best animal in the flock, though seem- 

 ingly all right in the evening, dead in the 

 morning ; the disease is also very destructive 

 to lambs from the same causes. An ex- 

 perienced and careful shepherd will, howe\-er, 



frequently before nightfall be fully warned if 

 he observes a sheep lagging behind or se- 

 parate from the flock ; and if the animal pro- 

 trude the head, pant, and breathe laboriously, 

 and if the belly is more than usually full, he 

 should bring it into the house, bleed it 

 copiously from the jugular vein, and give an 

 active purgative, the best for which is a 

 tablespoonful of spirits of turpentine mixed 

 with three tablespoonfuls of linseed oil, 

 which will also act as a diuretic. If taken 

 in time, before much effusion takes place, 

 the animal may be saved, and should then 

 be put on fresh and more wholesome pas- 

 ture. 



The true red water in sheep is, however, 

 the same as that in cattle, viz., bloody urine, 

 and many suffer and die of it without being 

 suspected, particularly ewes having lambs; 

 intense and weakening dysentery is observ- 

 able for days and weeks, the urine is bloody, 

 and the poor animal becomes so debilitated 

 that she loses the use of her hind legs, and 

 ceases to secrete milk. A ewe in this con- 

 dition came under our notice lately ; she 

 was not able to stand, the lamb was nearly 

 lost, both were brought into the house, a 

 tablespoonful of spirits of turpentine, mixed 

 with two of linseed oil, was at once adminis- 

 tered, and she and the lamb were drenched 

 with plenty of warm fresh cows' milk and 

 fine oatmeal gruel, with a little ground ginger 

 in it ; in two days she got up, began to come 

 to her milk, was carried out to some nice 

 grass, where she nibbled a little, and even- 

 tually got up and walked about. She is still 

 weakly and under treatment, being brought 

 into the house in the evening, and getting 

 plenty of warm milk, oatmeal gruel, and the 

 ginger, and is likely to do well; the oil and 

 turpentine did well, the oil cleansing out the 

 bowels of any irritant matter, and the tur- 

 pentine on the kidneys and urine, v/hich has 

 lost its red colour. 



An experienced attentive shepherd is an 

 invaluable servant, and should have all the 

 necessary assistance required. This season 

 scab and vermin have been and are more 

 prevalent than usual, keeping the poor ani- 

 mals in a continued state of torment, as 



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