200 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



land not being well drained and the weather wet, there are many 

 marshy places about — or in filthy yards, and the contagious 

 foot-rot, which is a much more serious affair. 



The simple kind may generally be cured by the obvious 

 device of removing the sheep to dry situations. It begins in 

 the interval betwixt the claws, and the formation of purulent 

 material may spread very rapidly, and even lead to the hoof being 

 quite undermined and even thrown off. The structures which 

 secrete the horn, and the structures near those structures, become 

 inflamed, soften, and split, and frequently all four feet are 

 similarly attacked. The damage may probably have resulted 

 from direct irritation ; such, for example, as that wearing away 

 of the sole to the quick which may easily be brought about by 

 travelling for long distances on hard roads, or by soaking of the 

 hoof in wet and sludge, by the effects of ice or icy cr.ld water on 

 the coronets, by wounds, by collection of dirt between the claws, 

 or by the sheep standing on hot manure. 



However, this non-contagious foot-rot can be easily cured, as 

 we have said above; but the contagious form of the disease is a 

 very much more dangerous malady, on account of its tendency to 

 spread very rapidly from sheep to sheep throughout a district. It 

 seems also to be most especially liable to break out in fine-wooUed 

 improved merino breeds. On the other hand, coarse-woolled 

 sheep are not only less liable to the disease, but, if affected with 

 it, they are also capable of being more easily cured. The virus 

 of the malady does not seem to affect other animals besides 

 sheep. It is communicated through the skin around the claws, 

 and the period which elapses between the time at which the 

 virus gets into contact with the hoof, and the period at which 

 the disease breaks out, is about four and a half days. This 

 virulent kind of foot-rot may be mistaken for the mild variety 

 above described. It is not very possible to mistake a case of 

 contagious foot-rot for one of aphthous fever, the absence of 

 symptoms in the mouth proving that the animal cannot be 

 suffering from the latter malady. Again, mud-balling also, in 

 which mud, having become lodged between the toes, hardens 

 tjiere and sets up inflammation, is also a very distinct complaint. 



On the Continent contagious foot-rot has often spread in an 

 epizootic manner; in Australia it is commonly met with; and 

 in the United States it is at times very markedly prevalent 



