312 THE DISEASES OF SHEEP. 



JOINT-ILL (ARTHRITIS), 



Except as a purely sporadic disease, is due to a com- 

 bination of two causes — (1) a depraved or impoverished 

 condition of the mother's blood — nearly always, in my 

 experience, brought about by injudicious management — 

 whereby the milk contracts deleterious properties; (2) 

 the combined effects of cold and wet. In some cases the 

 actual cause is inflammation of the umbilical (navel) vein, 

 as a result of which abscesses form in the liver. Suppu- 

 rative inflammation of the joints follows. The probable 

 primary cause of the disease is a micrococcus. (Walley.) 



Lambs from two to five weeks old are very liable to 

 the disorder. They are often stiff all over before the 

 swellings appear. Sometimes they crawl on their knees. 

 Sometimes they are prostrate. Usually they either die or 

 become incurably lame and worthless. 



Remedy. — Keep warm and dry. Mild purges if cos- 

 tive. Cordial medicine in hot gruel. Liniment : Oil of 

 turpentine, 8 oz., strong solution of ammonia, 3 oz., soft 

 soap, 4 oz.; digest, shake at intervals, adding water to 

 make 2 quarts in all. Rub once or twice daily. 



RHEUMATISM 



Is the same in sheep as in other animals. Treat the 

 same. 



NAVEL-ILL OR NAVEL-POCKING 



Is the result (1) of a depraved condition of the moth- 

 er's system; (2) the action of poisonous germs on the 

 clot of blood which is always found in the umbilical vein 

 of newly born animals. If the system is healthy, no in- 

 jury is caused by septic or poisonous organisms; other- 

 wise the vitiated blood acts as pabulum for their devel- 

 opment. Septic, sometimes erysipelatous, inflammation is 

 set up, the products of which becoming absorbed, cause 

 putrefactive inflammation of the joints, especially those 



