320 MALIGNANT EPIZOOTIC CATARRH. 



about the country, my uniform previous impunity in these 

 "bad winters" led me to entertain no apprehensions of the 

 prevailing epizootic. About the first of February my sheep 

 went into the charge of a new man, hired upon the highest 

 recommendations. A few days after I was called away from 

 home for a week. The weather during my absence was, a 

 part of the time, very severe. The sheep house occupied by 

 one flock containing one hundred sheep, was, with the 

 exception of two doors, as close a room as can be made by 

 nailing on the wall-boards vertically and without lapping, as 

 is common on our Northern barns. One of the doors was 

 always left open, to permit the free ingress and egress of 

 the sheep, and for necessary ventilation. A half dozen ewes, 

 which had been untimely impregnated by a neighbor's ram, 

 were on the point of lambing, and it being safer to confine 

 the ewes in a warm room over night, the shepherd, instead 

 of removing them to such a room, confined the whole flock in 

 the sheep house every night, and rendered it warm by closing 

 both doors. After two or three hours, the air must have 

 become excessively impure. On entering the sheep house, on 

 my return, I was at once struck with its highly offensive 

 smell. A change, too, slight but ominous, had taken place in 

 the appearance of a part of the flock. They showed no signs 

 of violent colds, I heard no coughing, sneezing, or labored 

 respiration and the only indication of catarrh which I 

 noticed, was a nasal discharge, by a few sheep. But those 

 having this nasal discharge, and some others, looked dull 

 and drooping ; their eyes ran a little were partially closed, 

 the lachrymal caruncle and lids looked pale their movements 

 were languid and the shepherd complained that they did 

 not eat quite so well as the others. The pulse was nearly 

 natural though I thought a trifle too languid. 



Not knowing what the disease was and fully believing 

 that depletion by bleeding or physic was not called for, I 

 contented myself with thoroughly purifying the sheep house 

 seeing that the feeding, etc.,* was managed with the greatest 

 regularity and closely watching the further symptoms of 

 disease in the flock. In about a week, the above described 

 symptoms were evidently aggravated, and there had been a 

 rapid emaciation, accompanied with debility, in the sheep 

 first attacked. The countenance was exceedingly dull and 



* They had been fed with bright hay three times a day and turnips. As those 

 affected did not eat their turnips well, I commenced feeding some oats in addition to 

 the turnips. I believed that a generous diet was called for and I gave it. 



