524 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



staring, the mucous membranes are pallid, the ears pendulous, 

 the eyes dull and glassy and sunken, the rectum protrudes, and 

 from it flows a slight amount of bloody discharge ; the back is 

 arched, there is pain on pressure of the loins, and the animal 

 staggers in the gait ; the feces are tinged with blood, and very 

 offensive. 



In the case of sheep^ dysentery is a dangerous malady, even 

 from the outset of its course; whereas diarrhcBa, on the contrary, 

 only seldom seems to be very fatal to sheep, unless, indeed, it 

 is assuming, or about to assume, the characters of the former 



Fig. 70. 



The above picture represents an ox suffering from Chronic Dysentery. The 

 animal in this state may live for a rather long time, although its extreme 

 emaciation renders it a miserable object. Every bone almost may be seen 

 through the skin, the animal can only move with great difficulty, the eyes 

 are sunken, and the space between the jaws may be filled by a swelling, the 

 result of dropsy. The hair stands erect, the ears droop, and the beast 

 presents an appearance of extreme dejection and misery. 



disease. Dysentery breaks out most especially among older 

 sheep, particularly in hot and sultry weather, or when they are 

 present in too great number on scanty pasturage. The early 

 stages of the disease are accompanied by febrile signs, and 

 wasting and debility rapidly supervene. The complaint is 

 characterised by the belly being drawn up, and the appetite lost. 

 The animal wastes and dies rapidly, unless, indeed, the malady 

 be checked by the aid of good medicine and warmth. The 

 chief symptom manifested is a frequent discharge of shiny or 

 green matter, which at a later stage may be mixed with blood. 

 This discharge is thin and adhesive in nature, in consequence 

 of the fact that a great deal of mucus mingles with it, making it 

 cling to the wool of the tail and the thighs ; sometimes, indeed, 

 the tail may be, so to say, glued down. 



