Olservations upon the Foot-rot in Sheep. 233 



slips from one side of the sole to the other, thereby be- 

 coming a sort of boot, on which the animal rested without 

 much pain. Sometimes also the horn in growing again as- 

 sumes uncommon shapes. 



The dressing must be carefully repealed every day with 

 the greatest regularity. It consists in removing the boot 

 and cleaning the wound with Goulard-water. The other 

 feet of the animal must be examined as well as the diseased 

 one ; for the disease often passes from one foot to another, 

 and it is sometimes visible to the eye before the animal is 

 lame in the foot recently attacked. Some drops of Gou- 

 lard-water will then prevent the progress of the disease. 

 When the disease is taken in time, five or six days are suffi- 

 cient for the cure. If a good deal of the horn has been re- 

 moved it will require a longer time, until the horn has grown 

 again, and assumed sufficient consistence for the animal to 

 walk without being crippled. 



As long as the least matter is perceived and the wound 

 is not dry and cicatrized, even although the animal is not 

 lame, it must not be'thought cured, for it will carry back 

 the contagion to the flock from which it had been separated. 

 It must not be allowed to pasture with the rest until com- 

 pletely healed, and even then all its four feet ought to be 

 bathed with vinegar fur a few days at first. 



Unfortunately this malady is subject to frequent returns. I 

 have often seen animals which appeared to be well cured and 

 walked perfectly well for fifteen days, and then were again 

 seized. Those which have already had it, so far from being 

 less subject to it, are more exposed to it. This happens 

 from the nature of the treatment. The remedies I have 

 prescribed can only check the progress of the disease j and 

 until we have discovered a purifying specific, we may often 

 see the disease reappear several times on the same animal. 



It is of great consequence to be extremely vigilant in 

 placing the animals in the infirmary, and in taking them 

 away in proper time. In the season when sheep do not 

 leave the fold, the lame ones arc not easilv discovered, and 

 sometimes not until the disease is of some days standing, 



so 



