568 SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



to a junk-bottle of wine. 2. Spirits tui-pentine, tar and verdigris in equal 

 parts. 3. 3 quarts of alcoliol, 1 pint spirits of turpentine, i pint of strong 

 vinegar, 1 lb. blue vitriol, 1 lb. copperas, 1^ lbs. verdigris, 1 lb. alum, 1 lb. 

 of saltpetre, pounded fine : mix in a close bottle, shake every day, and let it 

 stand six or eight days before using : also mix 2 pounds of honey and 2 

 quarts of tar, which must be applied after the previous compound. " Two 

 applications will entirely remove the disease," says this recipe, which 

 was once, I believe, hawked about the country as a patent cure — being 

 sold at five dollars to each purchaser, he giving a promise of inviolable se- 

 crecy ! 4. Apply diluted aquafortis (nitric acid) with a feather to the ul- 

 cerated surface. 5. Apply diluted oil of vitriol (sulphuric acid) in the 

 same way. 6. Same of muriatic acid. 7. Dip the foot in tar nearly at 

 the boiling point, &c. 



After a thorough trial of the above and a multitude of other prescrip- 

 tions,* I have come to the conclusion that in the first and second stages of 

 the disease — before the ulcers have formed sinuses into the sole, and 

 wholly or partly destroyed its structure — that no application, simple or 

 compound, is preferable to a saturated solution of blue vitiiol, (sulphate of 

 copper.) In my judgment, no beneficial addition can be made to it as a 

 remedy. Of the manner of applying it I shall speak presently. 



In the third stage, when the foot is a festering mass of corruption, after 

 it has been cleansed as already directed, it requires some strong caustic to 

 remove the unhealthy granulations — the dead muscular structures — and 

 to restore healthy action. Lunar caustic I think preferable to any other 

 application, but it is too expensive. Mr. Youatt gives a decided prefer- 

 ence to chloride of antimony, and I think him coi'rect. This is frequently 

 not attainable in the country drug-stores, and muriatic acid may be re- 

 sorted to, or even nitric or sulphuric acid. The diseased surface is touched 

 with the caustic (applied with a swab formed by fastening a little tow on 

 the end of a stick,) until the objects above pointed out are obtained. I 

 have then usually treated the foot with the solution of blue vitriol, and sub- 

 sequently coated it over with lar which has been boiled, and is properly 

 cooled. The last protects the raw wound from dirt, flies, &c. Sheep in 

 this sta<Te of the disease should certainly be separated from the main flock, 

 and looked to as often as once in three days. With this degree of atten- 

 tion, their cure will be rapid, and it is astonishing with what celerity the 

 obliterated structures of the foot will be restored. 



The ordinary method of using the solution of blue vitriol is to pour it 

 from a bottle with a quill in the cork, into the foot, when the animal lies 

 on its back between the operators, as already described. In this way a 

 few cents' worth of vitriol will serve for a large number of sheep. But 

 the method is imperfect, because, without remarkable care, there will al- 

 most always be some slight ulcerations not uncovered by the knife — the 

 passages to them will be devious, and perhaps nearly or quite closed — 

 and the solution will not reach them. Thus the disease will only be tem- 

 porarily suppressed, not cured, 



I had a flock of sheep a few years since which wei'e in the second sea- 

 son of the disease. They had been but little looked to during the sum- 

 mer, and as cold weather was setting in, many of them were consid- 

 erably lame — some of them quite so. The snow fell and they were brought 

 into the yards, limping and hobbling about deplorably. This sight, so dis- 

 graceful to me as a farmer, roused me into activity. I bought a quantity 



•Many of them resorted to " against the stomach of my sense," to give myself and others indisputable 

 ocular proof of their inutility — or that they were no better than cheaper, simpler, and more easily attain- 

 able medicines. 

 (1048) 



