THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 391 



of pot-herbs, are good for the prevention of it. Some 

 propose to give sheep once a month, or oftener, half a 

 handful of bay salt, which may be some service to 

 them ; but as the rot, red- water, and most of the dis- 

 tempers that sheep are subject to, proceed from too 

 much moisture of the land they feed on, and the sea- 

 son of the year, so I should think that dry food at such 

 times, and keeping them on dry land in wet seasons, 

 and to give them fine hay, oats, &c. (amongst which 

 some salt might be mixed), might be the best and 

 most proper food for them to prevent these distempers. 

 Sheep are often blind by means of their foulness 

 of blood ; to prevent which it is good to cut their tails 

 and so to empty them of their blood. 



FOOT ROT. 



M. PiCTET, a French writer, has given a very detailed 

 account of this disease, as also the memoir of a Pied- 

 montese professional man on the same subject. An 

 English writer says, that this troublesome disease in 

 the feet of sheep, is generally caused by keeping them 

 in the wet marshy ground, or by travelling when the 

 horny part of the hoof has been too much softened by 

 standing in soft ground. It is supposed to be con- 

 tagious. When a sheep is observed to be lame, and 

 upon examination the foot is found to be affected with 

 this disease, give vent to ^ny matter that may be con- 

 fined by paring away the horn ; or if the horn is found 

 to cover a diseased part, it should be removed with a 

 knife, that the proper remedies may be applied to it. 

 Caustics are found to be the onlv efibctual remedies 



