PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SCABIES. 181 



Thirdly, my inquiries lead me to regard the transition 

 from poor feeding to rich pastures as deleterious to sheep, 

 especially when such a common cause of plethora operates 

 on a system poisoned by mercury, and by being covered with 

 an almost impermeable coating due to the ointment. 



Before referring to the symptoms, nature, and treatment 

 of the disease, I may be expected to state on what grounds 

 I have been led to refer the recent mortality among sjieep 

 to the above-mentioned causes. All the flocks I have in- 

 quired into the history of have been salved. Those that have 

 been dressed most frequently have suffered most severely. 

 A considerable number of cases have presented the symptoms 

 of mercurial poisoning, such as salivation and loosening of 

 teeth. Several of the most intelligent farmers have distinctly 

 traced the accidents to the " salving/' and have noticed the 

 escape of animals not dressed, or dressed only once, and the 

 deaths of others that had been treated most severely and re- 

 peatedly with the sheep ointment. The losses have been 

 greatest when four or five sheep alone have been smeared to 

 the pound of the dressing. The fatality has ceased in about 

 a fortnight or three weeks, but a number of animals have 

 survived over that period with laboured breathing and other 

 symptoms, indicating that their constitutions have suffered. 



Symptoms of the Disease. The reports I have generally 

 received as to the appearance of the suffering animals have 

 indicated that sheep in health have been suddenly seized 

 with signs of suffocation, and have died in an hour or two. 

 The animals pant, have a small, frequent pulse, blood-shot 

 eyes, and sometimes splutter frothy mucus from the nose 

 immediately before they die. 



I am satisfied, however, that the presumed absence of pre- 

 monitory signs is rather due to the imperfect observation of 

 shepherds than any other cause. I have inspected a flock, 



