600 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX, 



were actually sold for the seemingly extravagant sum of dBSOO 

 each. So far as is known, these bezoars are not supposed to 

 be harmful when present in the abomasum. 



Now, the next question which arises is — How are they pro- 

 duced ? The fact is that the lamb, before being weaned, may, 

 while engaged in the act of sucking, in the course of time 

 swallow a rather large quantity of wool. In like manner, the 

 adult sheep also may, in licking itself, collect a great many fibres 

 in its mouth and swallow them, and these at length gain access 

 to the abomasum. A hard piece of food, or any hard substance 

 such as even a grain of corn, may easily also be near, and the 

 wool may become entwined around it as a nucleus more and more 

 completely. In accordance with the movements of the food con- 

 tained in the stomach, the mass revolves, and it gradually 

 assumes the form of a ball, more or less compressed on two 

 sides, and varying in size from that of a small nut to that of a 

 large almond. There may be only one of these balls, or as 

 many as sixteen of them may be present. It is in the months of 

 September and October that they are most usually found, this 

 being the time of moulting in the sheep, and also the time when, 

 the skin being irritable, the sheep are most apt to lick and gnaw 

 themselves, and consequently swallow the greatest quantity of 

 wool. If these balls are exposed to a very great degree of heat, 

 they will burn, and they are also capable of being dissolved in 

 boiling water. They are never discharged by the intestines. 



ENGORGEMENT OF THE OMASUM, OR THIRD 

 STOMACH. OMASITIS. 



This disorder occurs as the result of the devouring of indi- 

 gestible material, such as old fog-grass (which has not been eaten 

 off in the autumn, but has been allowed to remain in a pasture 

 until spring), straw, or dry and harsh and badly-gotten hay, and 

 any coarse herbage or heath. Very bad hay can only be 

 rendered slightly available by being mixed with a large quantity 

 of cut turnips, mangold-wurzel, or grains. 



Impaction of the third stomach in sheep, if severe, leads to 

 inflammation of that stomach or omasitis. This disorder is also 

 known under the name of fardel-bound, and also as grass- 

 staggers, and It breaks out periodically both in the Isle of Man 

 and in Ireland, doubtless in consequence of errors in diet. As 



