38 On Merino Sheep. 



in the viscera immediately connected therewith. The 

 feces, which were unusually thin, exhibited a frothy ap- 

 pearance and a yellowish green colour, and contained a 

 large portion of corn, which though thoroughly masti- 

 cated appeared to have passed through them unchanged, 

 without any part having been taken up into the system. 



This latter circumstance furnished the clue that led 

 to the detection of the fatal cause, which was immedi- 

 ately suspected to be Indian-corn ; and my suspicions 

 have since been thoroughly confirmed by the following 

 facts : — This fatal disease was confined to the flock 

 which was fed on corn ; when this food was discontinu- 

 ed, the disease ceased; when it was afterwards resumed in 

 the form of meal, and mixed with oats, it returned ; those 

 affected by it were moreover the strongest and heartiest 

 ewes, which of course would obtain the largest share* 

 Lastly, the lambs of this flock, t\hich alone were ob- 

 served to purge, had constant access to corn- meal in a 

 small pen or cage, from which the old sheep were ex- 

 cluded. It is further remarkable, that none of my ewes 

 were affected with this disease until after lambing, though 

 they were liberally fed with corn for some time before, 

 as were also the rams, which were yet entirely exempt 

 from it. May not this be owing to some difference in the 

 distribution of the nutritive parts of their food in sucli 

 ewes as give suck ? 



In most of the diseases of sheep the trite adage, " that 

 an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," is very 

 applicable, but in none more than in this, as the unexam- 

 pled rapidity of its progress allowed no .time for the ope- 

 ration of remedies. I have used many medicines but 

 for the most part without any important advantage. Of 

 these, castor oil and rhubarb seem to have been most 

 beneficial. In one case, I tried the chalk preparation in 

 large quantities, with considerable additions of laudanum 



