210 DISEASES OF SHEEP. 



RECIPE (No. 8). 

 Physic for Blown. — Take Glauber's salts, one ounn?, and dissolve in poppermint 

 water, four ounces; to this add, tincture of ginger, a drachm ; tinrlure of gentian, a 

 drachm; boiling water, an ounce. This should be given every si.\ hours, until the 

 bowels are opened, and half the quantity on each of the four next mornings. 



The same treatment recommended for cattle for this disease is like- 

 wise equally desirable for sheep, the dose being about one-sixth or 

 one-eighth less in quantity. 



SECTION IX. 



THE YELLOWS, OR JAUNDICE, 



Sheep are subject to several sad affections of the Jiver, among 

 which ranks that destructive disease the rot. Jaundice is a less for- 

 midable malady, but often sufficiently destructive. It consists of a 

 superabundant discharge of bile, or an obstruction of the biliary tubes ; 

 and in either case a considerable quantity of bile enters into the cir- 

 culation, penetrates into the capillary vessels, and thus tinges the 

 skin. A superabundant discharge of the bile is the most frequent 

 cause. 



The liver seems to be a very tender organ in fatted and pampered 

 sheep, aud easily inflamed or put out of order. In the half-starved, 

 half-wild varieties of the sheep, inflammation of the liver and jaun- 

 dice seldom occurs; but too high living exhibits its injurious conse- 

 quences in this organ first of all. It is often seen, after sheep have 

 been moved into fair but not too luxurious pasture, that if they have 

 escaped the blown, a yellowness has soon begun to steal over the 

 eyes and the mouth, and the skin generally; and the animal has been 

 dull, and has disliked to move, and has sometimes been purged, but 

 more frequently costive, and the urine has been of a dark yellow- 

 brown colour. The liver could not maintain its healthy state under 

 this injudicious increase of nutriment. When the farmer and the 

 shepherd have either neglected to observe this, or to adopt the proper 

 treatment, many of the sheep have died in a few days. On examina- 

 tion after death, marks of intense inflammation have appeared every- 

 where, but more particularly in the liver, which has been of a red- 

 brown colour, and double its natural size, and is broken to pieces 

 with the slightest force. 



If it is taken in time, this is not a disease very difficult to treat. 

 On the first decided yellowness being observed, the animal should he 

 removed to a bare field, and should have the Purging Drink (No. 2, 

 p. 200) : half doses of it should also be repeated for several succes- 

 sive mornings, so that the bowels may be kept in a relaxed state. 

 Mercury will not be wanted. Calomel is rarely a safe medicine, and 

 it is a very uncertain one for sheep. A little starvation, and plenty 



