ri4 



SHEEP— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



foot-rot will suffer as assuredly as the 

 man who, deluded by some of the mis- 

 chievous theories of the day, believes 

 that he may keep a glandered horse in 

 his stable with impunity. 



The treatment of foot-rot is simple 

 enough, and, in the early stage of the 

 complaint, usually successful. The foot 

 must be carefully examined, and every 

 portion of horn that has separated from 

 the parts beneath thoroughly removed, 

 and the sore lightly touched with the 

 butyr (chloride) of antimony, applied by 

 means of a small quantity of tow rolled 

 round a flat bit of stick, and then dipped 

 into the caustic. A stronger, and often- 

 times a better, application is made by 

 dissolving corrosive sublimate in spirits of 

 wine. Hydrochloric acid is also a very 

 useful caustic for foot-rot. If a fungus is 

 sprouting at the place where the horn 

 separates from the foot, it must be first 

 cut away with the knife, and then the 

 root of it touched also with the caustic ; 

 or, what is still better, it may be removed 

 by means of a hot iron. It is necessary, 

 indeed, to be rather sparing with the use 

 of the knife throughout the disease. 

 There will seldom, except in very bad 

 cases, be necessity for binding the foot 

 up; indeed, the animal will generally do 

 better without this. It will be seen by 

 the altered color of the part whether the 

 caustic has been applied with sufficient 

 severity, and the dry surface which will 

 be formed over the sore will protect it 

 from all common injury better than any 

 covering. 



To these must be added that reason- 

 able and successful practice of removing 

 the sheep to higher ground. Sheep 

 among whom the foot-rot is beginning to 

 appear are sometimes completely cured 

 by being driven to higher and dryer 

 ground. Some farmers, and with a great 

 deal of advantage, have their flocks 

 driven four or five times daily along a 

 hard road. They thus accomplish two 

 purposes — they wear away the irregularly 

 formed horn, the unequal pressure of 

 which has irritated and inflamed the foot, 

 and the remaining horn is hardened, and 

 enabled better to resist the influence of 

 the moist or soft ground. Where the 

 ulceration is extensive, means must be 

 adopted similar to those recommended 

 for the treatment of foul in the foot in 



cattle; but in most cases it will be more 

 profitable to the farmer to destroy the 

 sheep that has bad foot-rot, if it is in 

 tolerable condition, rather than rely on a 

 cure that is uncertain, and during the 

 progress of which the animal very rapidly 

 loses flesh and fat. 



If, however, he is determined to attempt 

 a cure, let him wash the foot well from 

 all grit and dirt, and then cut off every 

 loose and detached piece of horn, and 

 every excrescence and fungus, and cover 

 the wound with the Caustic Astringent 

 Powder for foot-rot. (See No. 75, Do- 

 mestic Animals, Medicines for.) 



This shpuld be sprinkled over the sore r 

 and a little dry tow placed upon it, and 

 bound neatly and firmly down with tape. 

 The animal should afterwards stand in a 

 dry fold-yard for four-and-twenty hours. 



On the next day the tape should be 

 removed, and if the surface is tolerably 

 regular, it may be touched, as already 

 directed, with the butyr of antimony ; 

 but if any fungus remains, the powder 

 must be applied another day. The 

 fungus no longer continuing to grow, a 

 light dressing with the butyr should be 

 continued every second day until the 

 animal is well. Some prefer a liniment 

 or paste to the powder, and it is made by 

 mixing the powder with a sufficient 

 quantity of honey. The farmer may use 

 which he pleases ; but a firm and equable 

 pressure being produced by the tape is 

 the principal thing to be depended upon. 



The sheep-master should as carefully 

 avoid the ground producing foot-rot, as 

 that which causes the fatal affection of 

 the liver; and he should attempt the 

 same method of altering the character or 

 the low and moist ground by good 

 underdraining. The effect of this, how- 

 ever, is far from being so certain and 

 beneficial as with regard to the rot. The 

 water which would stagnate on the sur- 

 face may be drained away with tolerable 

 ease, but the soil cannot be rendered hard 

 and dry, or, if it could, that would not be 

 an advantageous change. The sheep 

 might not have the foot-rot, but the 

 ground would he comparatively unpro- 

 ductive. 



If the farmer intends to drive his sheep 

 a considerable distance to the market or 

 fair, he will prepare them for the journey 

 by a few days' removal to harder and 



