SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 503 



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of the coecum and colon of the size of a butternut. Superior lobe of left 

 lung adherent to pleura costalis — three lobes of right lung ditto, with slight 

 traces o? recent inflammation. Hydro-peiicarditis — the pericardium slight- 

 ly inflamed and containing something more than a gill of serum. 



Case 3d. Old, and in lamb. External appearances and tissues as in 

 Case 2d. Omentum dark-yellowish, or yellowish -brown by deposition of 

 lymph, the result of inflammatory action — gall-bladder precisely as in Case 

 2d — tubes mesentrica or erdargement of the mesenteric glands, as in the 

 precedhig cases. Middle lobe of right lung slightly hepatized, and adher- 

 ent to pleura costalis — hydro-pericarditis, (a gill of serum in pericar- 

 dium.) 



Case 4th. Yearling ram. External appearances and tissues as in pre- 

 ceding cases. Two small hydatids on omentum — gall-bladder as in two 

 preceding cases — mesenteric glands as in preceding cases. Traces of diar- 

 rhea. Thoracic viscera healthy. 



Case 5th. Lamb. External appearance as in preceding cases — omen- 

 tum as in Case 3d, and small hydatid on it — gall-bladder as in three pre- 

 ceding cases — ditto of mesenteric glands. Thoracic viscera healthy. 



Case 6th. Four-year-old ram, killed for examination, in the first stage 

 of the disease. Yet strong, appetite good, in fair condition, and exhibited 

 no particular external indications of disease except running at the eyes, a 

 slight gummy deposition below them — and some mucus about the nostrils. 

 Gall-bladder but little better filled than in preceding cases — mesenteric 

 glands same as in preceding cases. Thoracic viscera healthy. 



Re?}iarks on Preceding Cases. — I had started on the supposition that 

 the fatal disease would be found one of the lungs, consequent on ca- 

 tarrh. I thought it might prove a species of pneumonia, though some of 

 the characteristic symptoms of that disease seemed to be wanting ; but I 

 believed it would rather prove to be phthisis pulmonalis, or pulmonary 

 consumption. To the last disease, when it assumes the form of what is 

 popularly called " quick consumption," it seemed to me to bear several 

 striking analogies. But the post-mortem examinations above detailed, en- 

 tirely overthrow these suppositions. Except in Case 2d, there were no 

 manifestations oi recent inflammation of the lungs. The adhesions in Case 

 3d, were evidently referable to a past date. In the other four cases, the 

 lungs were in a healthy condition — exhibiting not a trace of hepatization, 

 tubercles, ulcers, or other abnormal action ! In Case 6th, where the dis- 

 ease was in its first observable and therefore inflammatory stage, no7ie of 

 the thoracic viscera presented a particle of inflammation ! 



Then what v^s the disease 1 It was evidently the same in the several 

 cases, yet the lesions disclosed by post-mortem examination were very va- 

 rious. Hence, I was led to conclude that these lesions were the results 

 of symptomatic disease, and that the primary one was not yet discovered. 



The malady continued to spread. New cases occurred daily — it began 

 to exhibit itself in my other flocks. It had manifestly put on the charac- 

 ter of an epizootic — or, if I may be permitted to coin a word, an en-zo- 

 otic. I no\v gave orders to have every sheep removed from the several flocks, 

 as soon as it should be attacked with disease. I also resolved on more ex- 

 tended post-mortem examinations. The following are the notes taken in 

 the immediately succeeding cases. 



Case 7th. Yearling. External appearance as in the preceding cases — 

 external tissues normal — mesenteric glands slightly enlarged — gall-blad- 

 der of natural size, with good bile, and with the natural discolorations 

 about it. Thoracic viscera healthy, with exception of pericardium, which 

 exhibited traces of recent inflammation and contained a gill of serum 



(9.12) 



