le'i 



DISEASES OF SHEEP. 



boors of Southern Africa, who, according to Thunberg, 



employ the inner coat of the stomach, dried and 

 powdered, as a safe emetic. Quackish absurdities of 

 so glaring a nature have, however, long been scorned 

 in civilized society. Not so, however, when the sheep 

 is the object of treatment. Scientific innovations have 

 been slow in reaching it, and specimens of barbarian 

 usage are far from rare. We may feel for the benighted 

 credulity which could place reliance, for a rescue from 

 mortal ailment, on the secretions or excretions of a 

 sheep ; but we are compelled to laugh on reading, in the 

 Family Dictionary, published in 1752, the following : — 



** In general, 'tis affirmed that the belly of a sheep 

 boiled in water and wine, and given the sheep to drink, 

 cures several diseases incident to them." 



Only fancy a farmer dosing a sheep with mutton 

 broth, and adding, for its stomach's sake, a little wine ! 

 I suspect the prescriber was, in this instance, putting 

 himself, in point of intellect, far below the level of his 

 patient. Thanks to him, however, for the benefit he 

 has thus unwittingly conferred, by holding ignorance 

 up to the derision it so richly merits ; no means being 

 80 powerful as broadly-drawn caricatures in exposing 

 the extent of such delusions. Though faith has long 

 since ceased to be reposed in the medicinal virtues of 

 mutton broth, a variety of nostrums have from time to 

 time appeared, the composition and application of which 

 are invaluable for the amount of negative information 

 they are calculated to convey. Further notice of these 

 trashy recipes it is not my intention to take, as a list 

 of them alone would make a volume ; — they are in the 

 hands of every one. 



