1S64I Care for Sheep 



that fact. The particular germ of hoofrot, moreover, 

 was long unknown, but I am told that recent studies 

 have shown it to be a pus-forming Streptococcus — S. 

 pyogenes — akin to the forms which cause nasal 

 troubles in man; with a good microscope I might 

 perhaps have made important discoveries. 



Carbolic acid being at that time unknown, tar Caustic 

 was my only available antiseptic. But for permanent remedies 

 cure I was forced to fall back on caustics: first, 

 nitrate of silver, which proved too expensive, next, 

 chloride of antimony — harsh, but fairly effective — • 

 and, finally, a shallow hot solution of sulphate of 

 copper (blue vitriol), which was probably the best. 

 In a bath of this last we stood the sheep, with hoofs 

 properly trimmed, until their feet were saturated.^ 



In 1864 I bought on my own account one hundred 

 badly infected animals. These I succeeded in cur- 

 ing, but the sudden ending of the war brought down 

 the price of wool from one dollar to thirty cents a 

 pound, so that my new flock was carried through 

 the winter at a loss. Accordingly, when spring Peddling 

 came, I selected the least desirable and drove them ^^^^p 

 across the country, selling them one by one where I 

 could. Some, being very tame, went as cossets or 

 family pets. The best Dorset and Paular ewes I 

 retained for friendship's sake, a few of them until 

 they were ten years old and I had left college, the 

 farm having been meanwhile transformed into a 

 dairy. 



* Nitrate of silver I found to be the remedial agent in a secret cure which 

 my father bought to try out. It contained also alkanet and oil of sassafras, 

 both introduced to mask its character, the one being a red dye, the other lending 

 a pleasant but deceptive fragrance. Chloride or butyr (butter) of antimony 

 was then already in use among sheep raisers. Blue vitriol had been recom- 

 mended by the well-known sheep breeder, Henry C. Randall. 



1:43 3 



