DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 385 



employed, and ewes which have given birth to unhealthy lambs 

 should be culled. 



It is of the highest importance that both the rams and ewes 

 should be in vigorous health, and also that the number of ewes 

 proportionally to the rams should not be too great. It is also 

 very advisable to put the flock in winter-time on sound land, at 

 yeaning time to provide good shelter, and to bestow extra care on, 

 and give an extra supply of food to, those ewes which have twins. 

 If rickets should manifest itself among the flock, all the sheep 

 composing it should be at once supplied with fresh food; and, 

 if it is practicable to do so, they should be put on a richer pas- 

 ture, or at any rate supplied with cake or sound corn. In fact, a 

 change of diet is a most important preventive and precautionary 

 measure. 



It seems that the disease which broke out among the lambs 

 in the district of New York in the spring of the year 1862 was 

 somewhat allied in character to the one above described under the 

 name of rickets. In that case the lambs suffered heavily in 

 consequence of a malady, the particulars of which are to be 

 found in the Edinburgh Veterinary Review^ vol. v. 1863, page 

 105. The lambs referred to were wanting in physical develop- 

 ment when born. Their bodies were small and lean, or had a 

 peculiar flaccid feel, as if the muscles had not attained their 

 normal consistence. The bones were smaller than is usual, 

 the back and neck were thin, the legs slender, the head was 

 small, the face very thin, and the wool and the hair were very 

 thin and short. The general appearance was like that of an 

 animal prematurely born. Some, indeed, were so feeble and weak 

 that they never could rise to suck ; some lived for a few 

 moments or hours, some from two to seven days. They were 

 dull, only made feeble eff'orts to feed themselves if their dams 

 were at all shy, and many would scarcely even follow their dams 

 about. Very few attained to ordinary size, even if their supply 

 of milk was plentiful. 



In some cases congenital goitre accompanied the preceding 

 symptoms. A few lambs when born were found to have their 

 heads and necks so drawn down, and occasionally so greatly 

 twisted sideways by the action of the muscles, that they could 

 only suck with difficulty, and by assuming unusual postures. 

 Those which were most severely affected starved, i.e. unless 



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