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CHAPTER lY. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT OP THE SHEEP. 



*' The Lord is my shepherd ; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down 

 in green pastures ; he leadeth me beside the still waters." — Psalm xxiii. 1, 2. 



We have now concluded our sketch of the various breeds of 

 cattle ; but so closely is the sheep connected with the ox that we 

 have determined to give some little attention to that animal also, 

 [ndeed, when we came to deal with the diseases and disorders of 

 )xen, we found it next to impossible to refrain from discussing 

 those of the sheep, so nearly allied and so closely similar are 

 they. Hence we hope, in the pages which follow, to supply our 

 readers with the chief points regarding what is known concerning 

 the pathology of the sheep — that docile animal which was so well 

 tended and cared for by the patriarchs of the Old Testament 

 history, and also by their descendants who, in later times, took 

 delight in watching their flocks in Palestine by night. Indeed, 

 so greatly prized was the sheep in those primitive times that that 

 humble animal was compared by our Saviour to us human beings 

 in like manner provided for by the Almighty. This love of the 

 sheep, so characteristic of shepherds of all times and all nations, 

 happily still exists in the hearts of many shepherds of this 

 day. 



In point of fact, there is great need for accurate information 

 concerning the chief ailments to which sheep are liable to he 

 subjected. Not only is it necessary for those who have to do 

 with sheep to guard against actually fatal issues, but they 

 should also strive to do all they can to avoid that weakening 

 of the genural system of sheep which is unfortunately far too 



