202 



DISEASES OF SHEEP. 



which strikes a person on viewing the carcass of a 

 sheep which has died of rot, is its leanness. In con- 

 ducting the examination, the fell appears of a bluish 

 white, the muscles are pale and wasted, and fat hardly 

 to be met with. Where it once existed, a tough yellow 

 substance alone remains, which is so destitute of all 

 pretentions to the name of suet, that it cannot, even 

 when thrown upon a fire, be made to blaze. Dropsical 

 accumulations are found in the legs, chest, neck, and 

 belly. On opening tlie chest, the lungs are often seen 

 adhering at intervals to the lining membrane of the 

 ribs, and have always a shrunk, diminutive appearance. 

 These adhesions are frequently seen where there are 

 no tubercles, and are in that case simply the result of 

 exposure to cold ; but where they are coincident with 

 tubercles, they may be ascribed either to the animal 

 caving been exposed to cold, or to the inflammatory 

 action set up by the tubercles themselves. The lungs 

 are always the principal, and I may also, from my own 

 experience, add, the primary seat of the affection. 

 When examined in the early stage of rot, they have a 

 hard lumpy feel, especially at the upper part or lobe, 

 and at this time a great number of irregular yellowish 

 white, patchy-looking bodies {Plate VI. ^g. 2.), 

 will be seen shining through the membrane, pleura, 

 which surrounds the organ. These tubeixles, as the 

 hard white bodies are called, vary in size from that of 

 a mustard seed to that of a pea. They are sprinkled 

 through all parts of the lung, and will in every dissec 

 tion, be found in a variety of stages, from the firm 

 condition in which they were deposited, to the softened 

 state which denotes their speedy expectoration. Each 



