342 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



It is invariably the result of the neglect of another disease, simple 

 and easy to cure, or the result of accident by a bruise qf the foot in 

 some way, and always evinced by a slight but visibleTameness in 

 whichever foot is injured. It is not contagious, neither can it be 

 communicated by inoculation. I saw the latter tested myself by the 

 late Mr. Field, father of the present able veterinary surgeon, of Lon- 

 don, on a visit to an extensive flock-master in Liecestershire ; and 

 I think by the time you read this through, you will be convinced 

 yourself as thoroughly as though you saw the experiment tried, of 

 the impossibility of its being so communicated, inasmuch as foot- 

 rot is not a disease of itself. 



Sheep have a secretory outlet between the claws, peculiar to them, 

 which is liable to become obstructed ; and when obstructed for a few 

 days, the tender skin between tiie claws becomes red and inflamed, 

 the sheep becomes lame on that foot, and more lame immediately 

 after its first rising in the morning than at any other time of day ; 

 the inflammation making greater headway while at rest during the 

 night, than at any other period. The watchful and observant shep- 

 herd will see the lame sheep at once on putting his flock up in the 

 morning, and will apply the remedy, which is siniple. first clean 

 the claw by running your finger or thumb up and down through it, 

 wet with your spittle, if you have no water convenient ; then lake 

 out your bottle of spirits of turpentine, and wash it well with your 

 finger with that ; let the sheep lie a few minutes until the claw is 

 thoroughly dry (I shall afterwards describe the simple mode of se- 

 curing a sheep so as that it cannot get ofl" its side until loosened by 

 the shepherd), and then rub between the claw a mixture of two 

 parts tar and one part sheep's suet boiled together, well blended and 

 let cool, which the shepherd should always have prepared and in a 

 tin box to take out with him. This done, let the sheep go to pasture 

 ao^ain, and repeat the same dressing every second day until the sheep 

 becomes well of the lameness, or until the skin breaks, which it 

 sometimes will do in spite of the dressing, and assumes the nature 

 and appearance of the disease called a scald, when you must then 

 apply the liquid dressing described below. The scald is a disease 

 of itself, though sometimes produced by the stoppage of the secre- 

 tory outlet of the claws in the manner described above, is generally 

 produced by very heavy dews, or a long continued series of humid 

 weather, which predisposes the foot to this injury. It is as the other 

 disease, first discovered by the shepherd from lameness, but at a 

 diff"erent hour of the day. When the flock are first put up in the 

 morning, the dew is heavy, is cooling to the foot, and washes be- 

 tween the claws clean ; and though the scald has made its appear- 

 ance, yet at that hour the moisture prevents the friction of the parts 

 from hurting and causing lameness, and it is not discovered until 

 towards noon, when the dew is all gone, and between the claws be- 

 comes dry, and the friction commences to hurt and irritate the parts, 

 and then the lameness becomes apparent. When this is the case, the 



