678 



THE DISEASES AND DISOEDEES OF THE OX. 



of the right kind, such as possess each of the two most necessary 

 properties of being at once mild and antiseptic. The greatest 

 care should be taken to obviate all risks of contagion from ewe 

 to ewe. 



We must, however, now return from our digression, and pro- 

 ceed to consider briefly the disorders connected with the 

 generative system in sheep. Before we pass on, we here append 

 the following table of numbers, which may be taken as fair 

 averages : — 



Animal. 



Horse or Mare 

 Ox or Cow 

 Sheep and Goat 

 Pig. - - - 

 Dog - - - 

 Cat - - . - 

 Babbit - - - 



Period of 

 Gestation. 



350 davs. 

 270 days. 

 149i days. 

 115| days. 



62| days. 



57 days. 



29 davs. 



Respirations 

 per Minute. 



9 



15 to 50 

 30 to 200 

 15 to 25 



Pulse beats 

 per minute. 



36 

 54 

 75 



Temperature. 



99° F. 

 101° F. 

 102i° F. 

 1031° F. 

 100|° F. 



The only column connected with our present subject is that of 

 the periods of gestation, and our readers will understand that the 

 time occupied is liable to vary a great deal in different indi- 

 viduals, and also according to the breed, the sex of the offspring, 

 and the age, strength, and condition of the mother. With regard 

 to the question of premature delivery, we may say that it may be 

 brought on by unwholesome food, such, for example, as fog 

 grass or other kinds of coarse herbage, by corn, mouldy or over- 

 ripened hay, frosted roots, too many early mangold-wurzels, or 

 too great an abundance of roots of any kind, coupled with a 

 deficiency of dry food, or, in short, by any food whatsoever 

 which may be diflScult of digestion. Of course, there are many 

 other causes whereby premature delivery may be brought about. 

 Of these we may mention bad water, fright, over-exertion, 

 exposure, and so forth. 



The influence of ergotised grass, in spite of all that has been 

 written about it, cannot be said to be definitely cleared up. 

 Speaking generally, we may suppose that some persons probably 

 over-estimate, whilst others underrate, the influence exerted by 



