192 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



come deformed and the sheep will stand on one side 

 of the foot, with the ankle turned over, giving 

 doubtless some pain and a very awkward look. 



The aim of trimming should be to keep the feet 

 as short as possible, not to cut to the quick, so that 

 they may be able to stand naturally and squarely 

 upon them. It is probable that lack of trimming is 

 in some degree responsible for disease of the feet. 

 Disease may occur, unfortunately, even in feet that 

 have been well trimmed, and the subject must have 

 attention. 



FOOT-HOT AND FOOT-SCALD. 



The shepherd commonly makes a distinction be- 

 tween a simple contagious affection of the foot 

 called foot-scald and the real and very serious dis- 

 ease, also contagious, called foot-rot. There seems 

 reason to believe that there is a form of foot-scald 

 that rapidly goes through a flock yet readily yields 

 to treatment that is distinct from the more severe 

 and less easily eradicated foot-rot. 



It is the belief of the writer, however, that quite 

 often the shepherd hides his genuine foot-rot be- 

 hind the more harmless appellation. 



There is, however, an inflammation of the skin 

 between the claws of the foot that does not extend 

 beneath the horny covering of the foot itself and 

 that yields quite readily to a simple treatment of 

 putting the sheep upon a dry footing, cleansing 

 from filth and an application of some coaltar dip or 

 carbolic acid. 



When the disease has penetrated beneath the shell 



