204 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



pulse, constipation, and general ill-doing has been generally recog- 

 nised by sheep men, but so far no specific organism has been credited 

 with its causation. Persistent fever of this kind leads in some 

 instances to jaundice, and then the yellowness of the skin and the 

 membranes of the eye and nostrils declare the nature of the organ 

 most affected. The urine is also bile-stained. 



Treatment. Two or three small doses of salts, with gentian and 

 nitre. Half an ounce, two drams, half a dram respectively for each 

 sheep, in the day's ration. If the numbers permit of handling 

 a solution of quinine, in dilute sulphuric acid, and in water, may be 

 given as a drench. The dose should contain five to eight grains of 

 the drug. A dry upland and generous trough feeding enable 

 the animals to pick up after the febrile symptoms have passed away. 



ANEMIA. 



It takes much longer to supply the required building materials 

 than to deplete the plethoric animal. The full blooded may be 

 purged and blood tension lowered by reduced rations, but the 

 anaemic must not only be steadily fed with nutritious food, but 

 supplied with those substances best known to favour the manu- 

 facture of red blood corpuscles. Iron and salt supply these, and 

 should be given to sheep showing the symptoms of pallor of the 

 membranes, short-windedness and dropsy under the jaw or chog. 

 Anaemia is of two kinds : that dependant on debility from ill- 

 doing or want of suitable food and unfavourable climatic conditions, 

 and a so-called 



PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA. 



This is believed to be due to some microscopic parasites of the 

 same nature that causes fowls to go light. Whatever the cause, 

 the result is the wasting away of the red blood cells and their 

 almost entire disappearance, with consequent debility affecting 

 the vital organs. It is usually, but not always, accompanied by 

 wasting of the fat reserves. 



Symptoms. In the flock, the first attractive symptom is rough- 

 ness of the fleece, weak behaviour in moving, or reluctance to seek 

 food, and pick and choose among the pasture plants, which is a 

 feature of the vigorous, already satisfied, but not disposed to 

 ruminate for awhile. Wool coming out, or held loosely to the 

 skin, is a symptom common to many diseases, and should lead to 

 further and closer examination. If pernicious anaemia is the cause, 

 the sheep will then be found to have pale membranes, a cool and 

 damp tongue, perhaps palpitation of the heart when first caught, 

 and subsequent heart failure, to the point of fainting when held 

 awhile. Dropsical swelling between the lower jaws, known as 

 poked or chockered in parts of England. This symptom also 

 belongs to the debilitated from fluke and other parasitic invasions, 



