Diseases of Sheep. 



CHAPTER 1. 



GENERAL DISEASES. 



I. REFERRING TO SCIENTIFIC TERMS. II. INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. III. DIS- 

 TEMPER OR EPIZOOTIC CATARRH. IV. GRUBS IN THE HEAD. V. HYDATIDS ON 



THE BRAIN. VI. APOPLEXY. VII. INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. VIII. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. IX. SWELLED HEAD. X. VEGETABLE POISON- 

 ING. XI. TETANUS OR LOCK-JAW. XII. PARALYSIS OR PALSY. XIII. RA- 

 BIES OR CANINE MADNESS. 



I. Referring to Scientific Terms. 

 The anatomy and explanation of the terms used to designate the several 

 parts of a sheep have been treated of in Chapter 1 of Part VII. A care- 

 ful study of these is necessary to enable the flock-owner intelligently to 

 undertake the cure of disease, as well as to enable him to become nicely 

 conversant with all that goes to make up physical perfection in the ani- 

 mal. The knowledge of these things is an im[)()rtant integer in consti- 

 tuting the difference between haphazard and practically intelligent 

 breeding, management, and cure of diseases, and may save the intelli- 

 gent man valuable animals and much money yearly. In the United 

 States and Canada, the fatal diseases to which sheep are subject are 

 comparatively few ; and this is especially true in the West and South- 

 west, owing, probably, to the fact that the summer and autumn are com- 

 paratively dry and equable, and the winters not characterized by excessive 

 dampness. 



II. Inflammatory Diseases. 



Diseases of an inflammatory nature are prolific causes of death among 

 sheep in Great Britain. In America, our sheep are comparatively exempt 

 from these diseases. Mr. Spooner remarked this fact, in comparing 

 English and American sheep, and attributed the cause to the more arti- 

 ficial care of sheep in England. Whatever the cause may have been in 

 his day, this will not now apply ; for in no country is all farm stock more 

 highly fed than in the United States and Canada. The real cause un- 

 doubtedly lies, first, in the climate, and second, in the greater intelligence 

 of our flock masters. They neither intrust sheep nor other farm stock 



1069 



