404 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



animal is suffering from the aphthous affection. Making allow- 

 ances for the variations of the temperature in sheep, which 

 in health will range from 101° to 104°, the increase is quite 

 marked, as the temperature in the diseased sheep will range from 

 104° to 107°. It will not, however, in the majority of cases, be 

 necessary to use the thermometer to decide the question of the 

 nature of the disease, as the local evidence will be sufficient. 



" Vesicles in the mouth of the sheep, although not so generally 

 present as in cattle, are very commonly found when they are 

 looked for, but as the idea has long been prevalent that sheep 

 are not affected in the mouth, it naturally has happened that 

 the part has escaped notice, and besides, the lesion is not so 

 prominent as in the mouths of cattle, and therefore not so readily 

 recognised by the unpractised eye. In lambs of a few weeks 

 old vesicles not larger than a hemp seed have been detected on 

 the tongue. Abrasions on the lips and palate are frequently 

 seen in sheep identical in character with those which are ob- 

 served in cattle ; and altogether the evidence of the identity 

 of the disease in cattle and sheep is perfectly conclusive, even 

 irrespective of the admitted fact that the affection is inter- 

 communicable in the two classes of animals." 



Professor Brown states that vesicles in the mouth are very 

 commonly found when they are looked for. My experience 

 leads me to a different conclusion, namely, that during some out- 

 breaks they are as often absent as present, even in the earliest 

 stage of the disease. 



In addition to the fever expressed by increased temperature, 

 acceleration of the respiratory movements, sinking of the flank 

 and beUy — " clapping," as it is called in Scotland — and loss of 

 appetite, which precedes and accompanies the earliest local 

 manifestation of foot-and-mouth disease, another important 

 difference exists, namely, the lameness of foot-rot very com- 

 monly commences in one or two of the feet, and may or may 

 not pass to the otliers ; whereas in foot-and-mouth disease all 

 the feet may be simultaneously affected, in which case the 

 animal creeps in a very characteristic manner when first made 

 to rise from the recumbent posture. In some instances all 

 the feet may not be affected, or some may suffer more severely 

 tlian others ; in whichever it is manifested, the lameness does 

 not affect the feet consecutively as in foot-rot. 



