131 



laudanum, wild carrot tea, and with a combination of these, besides 

 various other remedies, which did neither harm nor good, so far as I 

 could judge. After I had lost three, with the aid of one of my field 

 hands, I made a post mortem examination of one of the mules, cutting 

 open the body from the wiudpipe along the abdomen to its extremity; 

 examined the lungs, stomach, heart, liver, and viscera, and finally the 

 kidneys. Every part of the body seemed in a sound and healthy condi- 

 tion, except the kidneys. One of these had entirely sloughed from its 

 j)osition and fallen into the cavity of the body. It appeared to be a 

 mass of coagulated blood, resembling the color of the liver. I should 

 not have known it to be the kidney, had it not been that the other kidney 

 was partly in the same condition, about one-half of it being sound, 

 though swollen, while the other half, which had not yet sloughed, was 

 hanging to it, as a coagulum, showing it to be the same substance with 

 the one that had sloughed. How the animal could live so long under 

 such circumstances seems wonderful. In making the examination we 

 discovered that the blood, which was found in considerable quantity in 

 the body, was very thin, and of the color of pokeberry juice, much diluted 

 with water ; and when the hand was dropped in it and held up, it 

 scarcely exhibited discoloration. All the horses and mules I had, except 

 three, died, and these three had not eaten the heated or rotten oats, and 

 hence I conclude they were the cause of the disease. I have stated 

 these facts under the hope that the proper remedy may be suggested 

 and made public. 



[The department has prepared a report upon " the ill effects of smutty 

 corn on cattle," which is now before Congress, with other reports on 

 diseases of stock, and will probably be ordered in-inted at an early day. J 



DISEASES OF SHEEP. 



For a few years past, scab and foot-rot have been very prevalent 

 among large flocks in Neyv York, Ohio, and several of the western 

 States. During the past year, owing to the culling and killing of dis- 

 eased sheep, and greater care and better treatment, these diseases ap- 

 pear to be less prevalent. There is still much foot-rot; in some 

 counties twenty-five per centum of all flocks have it among them, and 

 in a few instances a much larger proportion. These diseases have' 

 spread somewhat by the dispersion of flocks to the west and south. 

 Liver-rot is reported in Cuyahoga, Ohio, and rot is mentioned repeatedly 

 in returns, without indicating whether foot-rot or liver-rot is meant. 

 Grub in the head appears to be less common than heretofore. A dis- 

 ease of the loins has been fatal in Utah. In Ohio, several reports of 

 deaths from " pale disease" are received. A few cases of dropsy are 

 mentioned. In Texas, losses of lambs have been very severe from 

 worms, and some fatality has been caused by exposure during cold 

 weather. It does not appear that a larger percentage than usual of 

 mortality of young lambs has been suffered. The following extracts 

 from correspondence are appended : 



Tuscarawas County, Ohio. — Sheep diseases are various. The most serious is wliat is 

 called the jiale disease aui foot-rot. As to the cause of the pale disease, meu differ ; 

 one fact is observant, that it is mostly coufiued to lambs aud yearlings, and the deaths 

 occurring from time to time, after the first of January. Their skins will be found 

 wliite aud bloodless ; reduced in flesli, bat not to as great an extent as might be sup- 

 posed ; some have been examined and small worms found in their intestines. It is my 

 impression, derived from observation aud pi'actice, that a great deal of the pale disease 

 could be avoided by taking the sheep in to winter in good, strong condition, and the 

 time to watch and observe the sheep the most carefully is soon after the first frosts of 

 autumn appear, aud then a little grain fed daily until winter begins will be money 

 well expended. 



