THE ROT. 211 



of purgative medicine, will be all that is required. Should the ani- 

 mal appear to be considerably weakened, this drink will be useful : — 



RECIPE (No. 9). 

 General Tonic Z)n 71 it.— Take, pentian, two drachms ; Colombo, one drachm ; gin- 

 ger, half a drachm ; give in four ounces of warm gruel. 



SECTION X. 



THE ROT. 



This disease is the very pest of the sheep, and destroys more of 

 them than all the other maladies put tog-ether. There are few win- 

 ters in which it may not be safely said that many hundred thousands 

 perish by it. The cause seems to be better understood than it used 

 to be, and on many a pasture that had formerly obtained a fatal cele- 

 brity for rotting sheep, they may now feed securely; yet almost as 

 many sheep die of the rot as there ever did. 1 shall, perhaps, be 

 able to sliow the principal reason of this, and arouse my readers and 

 agriculturists generally to the adoption of more etfectual preventive 

 measures. 



The symptoms of the rot in the early stage are exceedingly obscure. 

 There is little to indicate the existence of the disease even to the most 

 accurate observer. This is one cause of the mischief that is done ; 

 for it prevents tlie malady from being attacked when only it could be 

 conquered. The earliest symptom is one that is common to a great 

 many other diseases, and from which no certain conclusion can be 

 drawn, except that the animal is ill, and labours under fever. The 

 sheep is dull, he lags behind in his journey to and from the fold, and 

 he does not feed quite so well ; but these are as much early symp- 

 toms of the staggers as of the rot. 



This, however, goes on some time, and then a palish yellow hue 

 steals over the skin, easy enough to be seen when the wool is parted, 

 and most evident in the eyelids, and that which is generally called 

 the white of tlie eyes. The lips and mouth are soon tinged, but not 

 to so great a degree. The sheep does not otherwise appear to be ill. 

 If he does not eat much, he does not lose flesh ; on the contrary, he 

 seems to gain condition, and that for several weeks. Graziers were 

 taught this by Mr. Bakewell. He found that he could save a fort- 

 night or more in tlio fattening of his sheep for the market by giving 

 them the rot; and he used to keep a piece of wet ground expressly 

 for this purpose, and on which he regularly turned the sheep that he 

 destined for the bulcher. This may be a useful hint for those farmers 

 who have too much of this disease every winter. It may be hard to 

 be compelled to part with some of the best of their flock, but if they 

 are watchful they may sell the greater part of them without any very 



