Pcall on the Fooi-rot in S/ieejj. 219 



Tlie supposed worm is simply "hardened mucus, -which fre- 

 quently plugs up the pipe," neither more nor less ; — the effect, 

 observe, and not the cause of disease. Having dwelt at some 

 length on this part of the subject, Mr. P. proceeds to give us 

 his "theory" of the complaint; and we think he has demon- 

 strated (to our satisfaction at least) that the grand exciting 

 cause is cold, or, rather, cold and wet combined. " From the 

 increased action of the blood-vessels, a slight degree of inflam- 

 mation, and one of its concomitants, heat, results. This may 

 be considered the first stage of the disease. Then it is that the 

 sheep begins to limp a little : but as it seldom liappens that 

 the animal is attended to, or removed to a drier spot, whilst 

 the lameness is so slight, the inflammation commonly passes on 

 to the second or suppurative state ; and then the horn may be 

 obsen-ed to begin to separate from the quick, attended with an 

 oozmg of matter at the upper edge of the claw, exactly at the 

 spot where the horn is lost (as it were) in the skin." 



" Phenomena of a similar kind are observed to take place in 

 chilblains, which, it will be admitted, arise from the effects of 

 cold." No one however, in his senses, would wait till the chil- 

 blains have broken, before attempting a cine : neither should he 

 (if this analogy be correct) in the case of foot-rot. The idea 

 so common, of the infectious nature of this disease, Mr. P. has 

 completely and satisfactorily refuted. From the horny construc- 

 tion of the foot, the thing is impossible. — We regret that our 

 limits will not enable us to treat this part of the work with the 

 attention it so well deserves: but it is a cheap publication, consist- 

 ing of but 55 pages, and consequently within the reach of every 

 sheejvbreeder, bad as the times are. Before we take leave of 

 Mr. P., however, we think it but fair, having given the outline 

 of his opinion as to the nature of the disease, to state as briefly 

 as possible his " remedy therefore." 



" As soon as a sheep is obsei'ved to limp, the feet ought to 

 be immediately inspected ; and if no mechanical cause of lame- 

 ness can be discovered, then the ordinary seat of foot-rot, — 

 namely, the inner portion olthe claw, near the coronet, — should 

 be examined ; and if any oozing of matter at the upper edge of 

 the horn appear, the detached portion should be carefnlly re- 

 moved from the (|uick with a s/iarp crooked knife." Now in 

 what this crookedness consists, we know not : a knife may be 

 very crooked, and yet far from being ;;/(9/;t';7// crookt for such 

 a purpose, — sharpness we know to be indispensable, or injury 

 may be done by jagging tlie j)arts affected. The indiscrimi- 

 nate use of li(]uiil caustics is very properly rejjrobated : "yet it 

 has been found that the uniriate (usually called the butter) of 

 antimony is an excellent remedy in Ibot-rot, csjjccially if it ht 



E c 2 diluted 



