446 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



leaves of the grasses in a state of rottenness " — brought in contact with the 

 sheep's foot when " blanched and weakened by continual moisture ! " * 



There is another point of difference in the pathology of ovine diseases 

 in this and the old world, judging from the details furnished by the Eng- 

 lish veterinarians. Most of the pyrexial diseases, in England, are accom- 

 panied, at least in tlleir initiatory stages, with active inflammatory symp- 

 toms. Fever runs high, and decidedly antiphlogistic treatment is called 

 for. On the other hand, so far as my observation and inquiries have ex- 

 tended, the ovine diseases of the United States are usually of an sesthenic 

 nature — characterized by debility from the outset. The difference in the 

 physical character, feeding, and ordinary state of fatness of the sheep of 

 the two countries, offers, perhaps, a sufficient explanation of these facts. 

 The gi-oss, high-fed English sheep, forced forward by bountiful feeding to 

 an unnaturally precocious maturity, is always in a high state of plethora, 

 and predisposed, therefore, to inflammatory action. A slight derangement 

 of any function, produced by a cold, by an error in feeding, or by any other 

 causes, is sufficient to make the organs exercising those functions the seat of 

 such action. On the other hand, the sheep of the United States, kept mainly 

 for wool-growing purposes, is rarely raised above a moderately fleshy or 

 medium condition. And, unexcited by an unnaturally plethoric habit, the 

 weak vascular and muscular system of the animal little predisposes it to 

 inflammatory disease. 



A difference in the pathological chai-acter of disease requires a con-e- 

 sponding difference in the system of therapeutics adopted. The English 

 system of therapeutics is decidedly objectionable, here, first, on the ac- 

 count just named ; secondly, from its expensiveness ; and, thirdly, (for 

 popular purposes,) by the extent and complexity of its pharmacology. 



1. As has been already remarked, most of the English ovine diseases 

 commence with pyrexiae — and the fever is synochal or inflammatory in its 

 type. The subject is strong, plethoric, and full of blood. Antiphlogistic 

 treatment is clearly called for. Accordingly, depletion, by bleeding or 

 purgatives, or both, is first and promptly resorted to by the Enghsh veteri- 

 narian. In the United States, also, most important constitutional diseases 

 commence with pyrexiae, but the fever in its first discovered stage is almost 

 uniformly of a low, sinking, typhoid type, accompanied with great pros- 

 tration of muscular energy. The animal is in a leanish or only moder- 

 ately fleshy condition. It has been confined to dry, and perhaps rather 

 unnutritious food — for most of the list of constitutional maladies, here, 

 make their attacks in the winter, and old, lean, and feeble sheep are usu- 

 ally the first victims. A sheep is observed drooping, and indifferent to 

 food. It is caught and examined. Whatever organ or portion of the sys- 

 tem is laboring under attack, bleed so as to produce a constitutional im- 

 pression, (which the English veterinarians almost invariably recommend, 

 where they recommend bleeding at all,) and follow this with an active 

 purgative, and in four cases out of five the sheep will, in the expreesive 

 phrase of the English shepherds, " take the ground " ; it will never rise 

 from the ground more without assistance, and will soon become unable to 

 stand when set upon its feet. Growing weaker and weaker, it soon re- 

 fuses to eat, and death supervenes. These remarks are not designed to 

 apply to stall-fed wethers, or other very high-conditioned sheep. 



2. The English, and indeed the European method of treating diseases 

 is too expensive for this country. In curing hoof-ail, e.g., Mr. Youatt, after 

 recommending washing in chloride of lime, and cauterizing, says : 



* This seems to me a most unpbilosophical cause to be assigned by a veterinaiian of the standing of Mr. 

 Spooner. 



(846) 



