502 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



appearance of apart of the flock. They showed no signs of violent colds, I 

 heard no coughing, sneezing, or labored respiration — and the only indica- 

 tion of catarrh which I noticed, was a nasal discharge, by a few sheep. 

 But those having this nasal discharge, and some others, looked dull and 

 drooping ; their eyes ran a little — were partially closed, the caruncle and 

 lids looked pale — their movements were languid — and the shepherd com- 

 plained that they did not eat quite so well as the others. The pulse was 

 nearly natural — though I thought a trifle too languid. 



Not knowing what the disease was — and fully believing that depletion 

 by bleeding or physic was not called for, let the disease be what it would. 

 I contented myself with thoroughly purifying the sheep house — seeing that 

 the feeding, etc.,* was managed with the greatest regularity — and closely 

 ■watching the faither symptoms of disease in the flock. In about a week, 

 the above described symptoms were evidently aggravated, and there had 

 been a rapid emaciation, accompanied with debility, in the sheep first at- 

 tacked. The countenance was exceeding dull and drooping — the eye 

 kept more than half closed — the caruncle, lids, &c. almost bloodless — a 

 gummy yellow secretion below the eye — thick glutinous mucus adhering 

 in and about the nostrils — appetite feeble — pulse languid — and the muscu- 

 lar energy greatly pi'ostrated. Nothing unusual was yet noticed about 

 their stools or urine. 



I now had all the diseased sheep removed from the flock, and placed in 

 I'ooms the temperature of which could be easily regulated. 



I commenced giving slight tonics and stimulants, such as gentian, gin- 

 ger, etc., but apparently with no material effect. They rapidly grew weak- 

 er, stumbled and fell as they walked, and soon became unable to rise. The 

 appetite grew feebler — the mucus at the nose, in some instances, tinged 

 with dark grumous blood — the respiration ojjpressed, and they died with- 

 in a day or two after they became unable to rise. 



I proceeded to make some post-mortem examinations, which I shall 

 here detail, although, as I have before remarked, they are extremely im- 

 perfect. I was at first inclined to suspect that the primary disease was one 

 of some of the abdominal or thoracic viscera, and this impression was con- 

 firmed by the abnormal condition of these viscera in the first subjects exam- 

 ined. I therefore improperly confined my attention to these, and some of 

 the external tissues, vnthnut any examination of the interior organs of the 

 head, and neck. I shall give my notes verbatim as they were taken down 

 at the time, whether the appearances detailed have, as I 7io2v belkve, any 

 connection with the fatal disease or not. ^ 



Case 1st. Old sheep. Much emaciated — mouth and lips covered with 

 yellow froth — yellow waxy matter under eyes — adhesive mucus in and 

 about nostrils. On opening, external tissues appear healthy — two hyda- 

 tids on omentum of the size of a walnut — gall-bladder enlarged and enor- 

 mously distended with pale, and apparently not properly eliminated bile 

 — gall-bladder slightly adheiing to omentum — mesenteric glands enlarged 

 — other abdominal viscera believed to be normal — faeces in rectum thought 

 to indicate a constipated habit — stomachs rather empty. Thoracic viscera 

 healthy. 



Case 2d. Two years old. External appearances as in Case 1st, with 

 the exception of the yellow froth about the mouth. External tissues 

 healthy. Gall-bladder very small and nearly empty — bile pale and un- 

 eliminated — mesenteric glands enlarged — schirrous tumor at the junction 



* They had been fed with bright hay three times a day, and turnips. As those affected as above did uofc 

 eat their turnips well, I commenced feeding some oata, in addition to the turnips, i believed that a gener- 

 ous feed was called fur, and I gave it. 

 (942) 



