SPIRIT OF THE MONTHLIES. 343 



shepherd knows it is the scald. He collects his flock, catches the 

 lame sheep, ropes tlieai as it is termed, and lays them on their side. 

 He then takes his wash, previously prepared, composed of two parts 

 tar and one of oil of turpentine well mixed together, and then slowly 

 added and stirred in ; one part of muriatic acid (spirit of salt), with 

 after that four parts blue vitriol, very finely powdered, to which add 

 spirits of turpentine sufficient to make the whole, when well shaken 

 up in a bottle, of a liquid consistency, so that the wash may be ap- 

 plied by dipping a feather into it, with which anoint the scalded 

 parts with the feather. The bottle mdst be well shaken every time 

 the feather is dipped in ; and when the claws are dressed, the sheep 

 must then lay tied until the wash is perfectly dried in, and a sort of 

 incrustation is formed on the scalded pans : every second day is 

 enough to dress. It sometimes occurs that notwithstanding every 

 care, this scald turns to a sore ; and then it is, that it is called the 

 foot-rot The sore is produced generally by something getting in 

 between the claws, such as a bit of gravel or hard clay, or struck 

 by some substance that would produce extra irritation, proud flesh 

 and sloughing. Tlie treatment then is, if the sore extends either 

 way to the horny substance, to pare it away to the healthy edge ; 

 then shake a little fine powdered loaf sugar on the part, which will 

 entirely take away the proud flesh ; and then after half an hour 

 apply the wash, and, when dry, loose ihe sheep to pasture. Care 

 should be taken never to wrap the foot with a clotii, unless when 

 the horny substance is taken away and the pari is left entirely bared 

 to the ground, and then the one claw only should be bandaged ; or 

 if both are bared, each claw should be separately bandaged, to pre- 

 vent greater friction of the parts, and to keep them the more cool. 

 Und'-r this circumstance alone, is a bandage on the foot of a sheep 

 ever admissible, because it contains greater heat, and of course 

 greater friction, by keeping the claws bound together and not allow- 

 ing them to spread. In this stage of the disease, it is necessary to 

 dress every day ; and it must be noticed, that the cool of the morn- 

 ing is the best hour for dressing, because the sheep in hot weather 

 is much oppressed by being tied down on its side for the length of 

 time, sometimes an hour or more, that the proper application of the 

 dressing requires. It not unfrequently happens that sheep show 

 lameness, when you can neither see a scald, nor discover inflamma- 

 tion between the claws, from the stoppage of the secretory outlet ; 

 and then the shepherd must look for the cause by pressing and ex- 

 amining the hoof round, in the same way as the cause of lameness 

 is sought for in the horse's hoof; and when discovered, the horny 

 substance must be pared down to the part aflTected, and then the ap- 

 plications made as before described. In this case the lameness is 

 produced from precisely the same causes as the lameness in a horse's 

 foot, by a bruise or hurt, or by the prick of a nail, or the gradual 

 working-in of some sharp gravelly substance, which, when dis- 

 covered, and on opening, matter is found, it is immediately pro- 



