386 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OP THE OX. 



they received assistance from the shepherd until such time as 

 they had gained the power of making the unusual exertions 

 required of them. So suddenly did the disease manifest itself, 

 that even strong and healthy lambs a week or two old, all at 

 once, almost, lost the use of their legs in a greater or less 

 degree. Some hobbled about, as if they were lame in every 

 foot, scarcely being able to walk at all. Some of the suffering 

 animals recovered in a few weeks' time. Others, again, were 

 unable to stand, even when placed upon their feet ; yet they 

 looked healthy, fed heartily when assisted to do so, and 

 recovered when the weather became warm. However, notwith- 

 standing the recoveries which took place, .even as many as 90 

 per cent, of some flocks died from this disease. 



Mr. Randall says that the flocks of sheep in New York were 

 much more than usually confined during much of the winter 

 from 1861-62. Very deep snows fell about the first day of 

 February, and the hard crusts left on the ground prevented 

 the sheep from straying from the immediate neighbourhood of 

 the stables as long as the spring. In fact many flocks scarcely 

 moved fifty yards from their stables during the last ten or 

 twelve weeks of their pregnancy. Their appetites were kept 

 keen by the cold, and the large amount of food, coupled with 

 inactivity and advancing pregnancy, made the sheep very quiet 

 and much disposed to remain in their stables. When they had 

 eaten, they lay down on their bedding until they rose to eat 

 again. In fact flocks, habituated to run in pastures in the 

 winter, and to dig down to the grass, were entirely cut off from 

 their usual succulent food. It is a grave mistake to let in-lamb 

 ewes obtain green food by roving about the fields and turnip 

 patches for the first two or three months of their time, and then 

 to confine them rigorously to a small yard and dry food. In 

 severe winters, indeed, this course may often lead to wholesale 

 loss of even the grown animals. 



Fragility of the bones, or bone-brittleness, or fragiltas 

 ossium, is the other bone disease of which we have to speak. 

 This malady is rarely met with in oxen, excepting in those 

 districts where the soil is of a porous or sandy character, 

 and in some degree barren, such as it is in some parts of 

 Scotland, and on the west bank of the Eden in Westmore- 

 land. In such districts the water does not contain the salts 



