430 DISEASES OF THE BLOOD. 



is rendered quite distinct by certain well-known symptoms. Though 

 these have been described in various ways, the disease can be recognised 

 by the more or less complete paralysis of the body and limbs. Symptoms 

 may succeed one another very rapidly, or may be spread over some length 

 of time. The animal at first loses control over the muscles, which are 

 seen to twitch convulsively. It may fall down and struggle on the 

 ground, sometimes jumping up again, often to some height. Between 

 the fits it is often seen to stand trembling. These symptoms are fre- 

 quently accompanied by frothing at the mouth. Some such appearances 

 are the usual onset to the disease, and are followed by a paralysis which 

 usually affects the hind limbs, but may also include more or less of 

 the body and the head and neck. The fore-limbs are often similarly 

 paralysed. The affected limb or limbs become cold to the touch. The 

 paralysis necessarily brings the animal to the ground, though it may be 

 able to crawl about by the aid of the unaffected legs. When the head 

 and neck are affected the former is usually drawn to one side, and the 

 eyes often become oblique. Excitement is greatly increased when the 

 animal is disturbed. The symptoms, then, in a few words are more or 

 less complete paralysis, preceded as a rule by fits and trembling. 



The small number which recover present " a wry neck, stiff" joint, 

 high back, or other deformity." During recovery swellings occur at the 

 joints ; these may be pierced with good results, giving a large discharge 

 of pus. According to Fair, in the Veterinarian, Vol. VIIL, "these abscesses 

 usually appear in the neighbourhood of the joints, but sometimes above 

 the arms, the brisket, or any neighbouring part of the body." 



While the disease is characteristically a sheep ailment, other animals 

 are also liable. Swine fed with the carcases or blood of sheep which 

 have succumbed to louping-ill die with every characteristic of the disease 

 in a short time. If the carcase has been boiled this does not occur. 

 Swine will also frequently take the malady if allowed access to the grass 

 of aff'ected fields. Cattle are said to take the disease, and in the North 

 Tyne district it is said that if a cow takes louping-ill, the milk will give 

 the illness to a calf or lamb. One or two cases of horses being attacked 

 are also reported. 



Kegarding the infectious character of louping-ill, the following is very 

 well known. Sheep bred on diseased places are not nearly so liable to 

 the disease as sheep which have been introduced from unaffected places. 

 Louping-ill may be introduced into a new place, but in such cases, 

 unless the importation from affected farms be continued, the malady 

 may disappear. 



Distribution of the disease. In Great Britain it is confined to the 

 North Tyne district of Northumberland and to the contiguous border 

 counties of Scotland, extendin*;; into Kirkcudbri^j-htshire and certain 



