FARMERS' REGISTER— DISEASES OF SHEliP AND COWS. 



89 



tlieni opened with hoes or spades; and if there 

 should be any low places in the land, I have cross 

 ruiTows or grips cut across the beds, as before 

 mentioned, ta the lowest point, by which means 

 such j)laces are kept perlectly dry. I have pur- 

 sued the last mentioned plan oi' culfiv^aiing low 

 grouiid tor three 3'ears, and ha\c succeeded very 

 Avell with botli^corn and wheat in every instance. 



In conclusion, I beg you to accept of my mogt 

 cordial and sincere wishes, for the success of the 

 noble ami valuable work, which \T)U have the 

 honor of being editor. adolksckns. 



Prince George. 



DISKASES OP SHEEP AND COWS. 



For tlie Farmers' EcgistCr. 



Essex county, May 24th, 1834. 

 Sheep and cattle like the human family, are 

 suljject to a variety of diseases: but it is not my 

 intention to notice more than one or two. There 

 is a disease to which sheep are subject, that is 

 probably more destructive to them than is general- 

 ly supposed — that of the worm in the head. I 

 liavc not unlrequently had sheep that were fat, 

 that looked heakhy and well, to sicken ant! die in 

 the course of a liiw days; and under the impres- 

 sion that they had eaten something poisonous, 

 such things were given them as arc genei'ally 

 recommemled in books lor poison, but with no ad- 

 vantage. Having purchased some Bakewell and 

 Southdown sheep at from ^20 to $20 each, has 

 probably induced me to pay ratlier more attention 

 to my sheep than otherwise I should. One very 

 cold day, winter before last,- 1 saw a half Bake- 

 weil e\ve-i?t adding in tlie snliw about fifty yards 

 from a shelter that had been erected tor my' sheep, 

 and under which they hSd usually slept. Her 

 head was down, and occasionally she moverl a 

 little. Supposing that she had a young landj, I 

 Avalked that course with a view of having the 

 lamb moved to the shelter; but as I ajiproached 

 her, she did not appear to observe me. I took 

 hold of her and she appeared too stupid to notice 

 it. iler head was inclined a little to one side, her 

 eyes glared and appeared almost fixed in their or- 

 bits. She was found too stupid to be driven to the 

 l(_)ld, and had to be carried. She lived several 

 days; at first she had slight spasms, and ibamed 

 a little at the mouth, but alter a day or two, she 

 was more strongly convulsed, and would tall 

 down, but would again get up. Supposing her 

 head to be the seat of the disease, after her death 

 it was dissected, and a worm was found in one of 

 the nostrils, a little belov/ the eye, about an inch 

 in length and a quarter of an inch in thickness. 

 Supposing that one alone had killed her, very little 

 examination fi^n-ther was' made. In January last, 

 two sheep on the same morning appeared to be 

 sick, one a ewe of the common breed, in fine or- 

 der, the other a half Bakew-ell ewe, and lat. The 

 common ewe held her head as high or higher 

 than usual, with it a little inclined to one side, the 

 eyes resembled those of the one already described: 

 on ap))roaching her, she aj)pearcd a little stupid, 

 would sutler me to api)ix.ach very near, and then 

 suddenly tlart ofi' as if she had just perceived me. 

 The other held her head rather lower than usual, 

 and surtered me to approach her rather nearer than 

 tlie other, and appeared more stupid and sick, with 

 po glaring of the eyes. Next day both of them 



were evidently worse, and the common ewe dis- 

 posed to hang her head; and on the third day she 

 laid down to get up no more. The glare of the 

 eyes continued, the pu])il became enlarged, spasms 

 came on, and a little loam was observed about the 

 mouth. The spasm Avas first observed to throw 

 the left ear in motion, then the left eye lid, quickly 

 after which it appeared all over the tace, head, 

 and neck, but as she was lying down the force of 

 the spasm upon the body, could not be seen as upon 

 the one the winter before. The morning she died, 

 I was about leaving home when I was informed 

 she was dead; but I requested her head to be ex- 

 amined to see if any worm could be found. On 

 my return a worm was brought me, about the size 

 of the one already descrdaed, and it was stated it 

 was taken out of the head between the ejes. I 

 think it not improbable there might have been 

 many more. The half Bakewell appeared more 

 stupid and sick eveiy day, and held her head low- 

 er aud lower, until her nose almost rested on the 

 ground as she stood up. I saw her but a few 

 times after the death of the other, but I think to- 

 wards the last, the symptoms were very much 

 like the other two. About a day and a half afier 

 the death of the. other, I Avas informed the half 

 BakeAvell Avas d3-ing. As night Avas fast coming 

 on, and the Aveather Avas extremely cold, it Avas 

 thought best to haA-e the sheep killed and skinned 

 AA'hile Avarm, after Avhich the hotly was examined, 

 but nothing found amiss. It AA^as getting too dark 

 to dissect the head, and that Avas laid by for morn- 

 ing. In dissecting, it was found filled Avith blood, 

 haA'ing been knocked on the head Avith an axe to 

 kill it. Under this disadvantage it AA'as dissected, 

 and from the head was taken nineteen Avorms. 

 Some AA^ere found high up the nostrils, some in the 

 dilierent cavities of the head, and one large one 

 AA^as found lying on the thin membrane that 

 euA-elopes the brain; they Avere of all lengths,, 

 from a quarter of an inch to an inch. They Avere 

 placed upon a piece of paper, and none appeared 

 to be alive: but aftcrAvards, Avhile looking at them 

 by the fire, many Avcre found to move. It appears 

 strange that so many should have been found 

 in the head of one sheep, and that one quite fat. 

 Wheth'er it Avas their particular location, or like 

 the grubs in the horse, they remain for a time 

 peaceable and ilioffensiA^e, and then suddenly de- 

 stroy fife, I must leave for the reflection of others. 

 Tlie Avorm is supposed to be the produce of a fly 

 which deposites its eggs a little Avithin the margin 

 of the nose, to avoid Avhich is the cause Avhy sheep 

 gather together, and turn their noses iuAvards. 

 Daubing the nose often Avith tar or train oil is said 

 to be a preventive. About a table spoonful of a 

 decoction of Scotch snuff injected up each nostril 

 Avith a syringe, tiu'ce or four times from the 1st of 

 October to the 1st of January, is said to be a good 

 remedy, but is apt to make the sheep very drunk 

 for a short time. ■ I cannot say I haA-e much con- 

 fidence in either the preA-entive or remedy proving 

 effectual, 



I Avill noAv notice one disease to AA'hich the cow 

 is subject, that of an inflammation of the udder. 

 I haA-e fre(iuently heard it stated, that it is pro- 

 duced from the snake sucking the coav. The 

 snake is supposed to be fond of milk, but as to any 

 tamiliarity between the snake and the coa;v, I have 

 ncA-er belieA"ed in it. The snake is more like Ish- 

 niael of old, Avhosc hand Avas "against eA^ery man. 



