SHEEP. 



easel The owners, taking them to 

 some cattlc-sliow, say that they died 

 of inflammation. Intiamniation had 

 nothing to do with it. The sheep had 

 been brought to the highest and most 

 dangerous state of condition. Every 

 vessel was overloaded with blood, 

 and then some trifling exertion being 

 required, or the animal being a little 

 disturbed, the nervous functions were 

 suspended, and the vital current sud- 

 denly arrested. Very few persons 

 have gone into a cattle-show without 

 being painfully struck with the evi- 

 dent distress exhibited by some of 

 the over-gorged animals. 



" If there is time for resorting to 

 curative means, the jugular vein 

 should be opened, and aperient medi- 

 cine administered. 



" Inflammation of the Brain is a fre- 

 quent consequence of this strange 

 over-feeding. It is ushered in by 

 dulness and disinclination to move ; 

 hut presently the eye brightens, and 

 the animal attacks everything with- 

 in his reach. If it can be managed, 

 the same treatment must be adopted 

 — bleeding, physic, and low feeding. 



''Locked Jaw is not an unfrequent 

 disease among sheep. It commences 

 with an involuntary spasmodic mo- 

 tion of the head, accompanied by 

 grinding of the teeth ; but the latter 

 symptom is presently succeeded by 

 fixedness of the jaws. The disease 

 often runs its course in a little more 

 than twelve hours. The principal 

 cause is cold and wet. After an un- 

 usually cold night, it is not uncom- 

 mon to find many ewes that have 

 lately lambed, and many lambs re- 

 cently dropped, dead and stiffened. 

 It sometimes occurs after castration, 

 and at weaning time. Bleeding, ape- 

 rient medicine, an opiate given an 

 hour after the physic, and also a warm 

 bath, are among the most likely means 

 of cure. 



" EpUcpsy is a not unfrequent dis- 

 ease among young sheep which are 

 exposed loo much to cold, or dismiss- 

 ed from the fold too soon in the itiorn- 

 ing. Care and nursing will some- 

 times recover them, or a little exer- 

 cise forced upon the patient. 



" Palsy. — The appearance of this 

 disease is mostly confined to the ewe 

 and lamb at weaning time, or when 

 they are left at night in a bleak and 

 e.xposed situation. The vital heat is 

 abstracted by the cold bed on which 

 they lie, and the cold air around them, 

 and there follows a compound of 

 rheumatism and palsy, the latter pre- 

 dominant and most obstinate. In the 

 majority of cases they will never re- 

 gain tiieir former condition or value, 

 but continue a disgraceful exhibition 

 of the carelessness and inhumanity 

 of the owner. It is dreadful to think 

 how many animals in some districts 

 are thus destroyed. No little art and 

 kind treatment are in some cases re- 

 quisite in order to recover these neg- 

 lected and abused creatures. Warm 

 gruel or milk, and a moderate degree 

 of warmth, are the chief restoratives 

 that can at first with safety be appli- 

 ed. A little ginger and spirit of ni- 

 trous ffither may be added to the gruel 

 when the patient begins to recover. 



" Rabies. — The rabid dog seems to 

 have an irresistible propensity to 

 worry sheep, and the poison is as fa- 

 tal in this as in any other animal. 

 There are cases on record in which 

 from twenty to thirty have been bit- 

 ten by tiie same dog, and all have 

 died. If it can be proved that the 

 flock has been attacked by a mad dog, 

 every sheep should be inost carefully 

 examined, and if the slightest wound 

 is found upon him, he should be de- 

 stroyed. When the disease has bro- 

 ken out in the flock, no sheep that 

 has exhibited the slightest trace of it 

 should be used for human food. 



"There is no cure for rabies, and 

 he will incur fruitless expense who 

 has recourse to any pretended nos- 

 trum for this purpose. 



" Ophthalmia is a very frequent dis- 

 ease among sheep. The old people 

 used to say that the animal had dis- 

 turbed a lark's nest, and that the lark 

 had spurred him blind. If any in- 

 flammation of the eye is detected, 

 tliat organ should be frequently bath- 

 ed with a weak solution of Gouland's 

 lotion, to which a few drops of lauda- 

 num have been added. It is some- 



711 



