304 DKOPSY, OK RED -WATER. 



ACUTE DROPSY, OR RED -WATER. I have never seen 

 this disease in our country, but as others think they have, I 

 will introduce Mr. Spooner's description of it and of the 

 proper mode of treating it. He says : 



" The disease understood by this term consists of effusion 

 of reddish-colored serum or water in the abdomen, outside 

 the bowels, and is the effect of increased action of the 

 membrane called the peritoneum, which forms the outer coat 

 of the bowels, and also lines the abdominal cavity. It is the 

 natural office of this membrane to secrete a watery fluid, in 

 order that the bowels should glide readily on each other, 

 but when diseased action is set up in this membrane its 

 secretion becomes excessive, and the serous portion of the 

 blood, mingled with some of the red portion, becomes effused 

 in this cavity, where it can not escape. 



" The disease is extremely common to lambs, both during 

 the time they are with their dams, and after they have been 

 weaned ; and in them, as well as in sheep, it is very fatal, 

 destroying the latter in twenty-four hours, and the former in 

 less time. 



" The nature of the fluid effused is similar to the serum or 

 watery portion of the blood, and as there is no active pain 

 manifested, we are not justified in considering that it is the 

 effect of inflammation, but one rather of debility of the vessels, 

 and the existence of too much moisture in the system. It 

 usually attacks both sheep and lambs when feeding on turnips, 

 and particularly when there is a hoar-frost, and the sheep are 

 folded on them during the night. From this circumstance it 

 has been attributed to the effect of lying on the cold, damp 

 ground, thus chilling the system, and particularly the abdo- 

 men. But the sheep is an animal covered with wool, which 

 can readily bear this exposure, and it is more likely to be 

 produced by an excess of this cold, watery frost taken into 

 the system, though perhaps assisted by cold lairs. 



" This view of the matter, too, is borne out by the fact, 

 that when ewes in lamb are kept too much or too long on 

 turnips, they often cast their lambs, which are found dead and 

 water-bellied, as it is termed, that is, the abdomen is found 

 distended with the same description of watery fluid as we 

 find in red-water. Now, in this case, the ewe generally 

 escapes disease, therefore it cannot be from external cold, 

 but from the nature of the food; so likewise it is most 

 probable that such is the case with red-water. 



" The symptoms usually observed in sheep, are refusal to 



