172 



OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



Besides watching his sheep in the open 

 country, the shepherd has to contend con- 

 tinually against the scab and other ailments, 

 filling as he does the triple office of mid- 

 wife, physician, and surgeon. The recipe of 

 his particular ointment for the scab is often a 

 family secret handed down from father to son. 

 He applies it at fixed times and in a certain 

 way. He parts the wool from the neck to the 



The shepherd is also the meteorologist of 

 the village, and sometimes its seer ; in fact, he 

 practices various sciences that border on the 

 miraculous. For these many services he re- 

 ceives a trifling salary, which is usually paid 

 " in kind." For instance, he may pasture a 

 certain number of his own sheep ; or he may 

 keep the whole flock for a certain number 

 of nights on his own arable land in order to 



A i RIO in uxiiiRO LiowN L iiA.\u'ic)NS ON hxini'.rnox 



Photo J. T. Newnmn, Beikhampstead 



tail and rubs his ointment down the narrow 

 line of skin thus exposed. Then he makes 

 another part across and down each shoulder, 

 so that the ointment is applied to the skin in 

 the form of a cross. Constant application of 

 the remedy by this method suffices to keep the 

 disease within certain limits. The shepherd 

 will not listen to talk of a complete cure, simply 

 because he does not believe it possible. This 

 is one of the numerous examples which prove 

 with what strength some ideas are anchored in 

 the minds of such persons. 



manure it; or he may take part of his meals with 

 the various owners of the flock in turn, those 

 who own many sheep feeding him for a greater 

 number of days than those who have few. His 

 food is composed chiefly of extremely thick 

 and very greasy pancakes. Another part of his 

 salary comes from an obligation on the part of 

 those peasants of the village who own horses, 

 they agreeing to till his field and gather his 

 fruit. Lastly, he receives a little peat, some 

 rye, and some other comestibles, together with 

 a very little money. 



