THE BLOOD. 



203 



drink; or at least the quantity which the horn will hold should be 

 carefully ascertained, and then a large bottle of the mixture may be 

 taken into the field, and the proper dose given to as many of the sheep 

 as may seem to require it, without the trouble of measuring it every 

 time. 



If the animal recover, a change of food must be afforded, and a 

 short sweet pasture should be preferred. 



SECTION IV. 



THE BLOOD. 



This is a disease too well known by farmers, and occasionally 

 prevalent in every part of the kingdom where the pasture is luxuriant, 

 and the system of close feeding is practised. I have known more 

 than a hundred sheep die on one tarm in the course of a fortnight, 

 and entirely because the farmer would not take warning by the loss 

 of the first, and put them on poorer ground, but ol)Stinately pursued 

 his plan of fattening them as fast as he could. In spring, particu- 

 larly, when the young grasses shoot and are full of juice, and espe- 

 cially after a few warm days, the blood appears in the flock, and the 

 sheep die away by scores. The rich pastures of Ronmey Marsh in 

 Kent, and the Sedgemoors in Somersetshire, are particularly produc- 

 tive of this malady. 



It is not always that warning is given of the attack, but generally 

 the affected sheep will separate himself from the rest of his flock, 

 appear dull, hang his head, his eyes will be heavy, and, if examined, 

 bloodshot. He will heave considerably at the flanks, stretch out his 

 fore-legs to ease himself, with great ditficulty be induced to move, or 

 will stagger about, threatening to fall every moment. If neglected, 

 six hours^'will occasionally close the affair; and the animal will very 

 rarely live eight-and-forty. On being examined after death, air and 

 an eftusion of yellow or reddish fluid will be found in the whole of 

 the cellular membrane; the veins will everywhere be turgid with 

 blood, the muscles livid or black, and the whole contents of the belly 

 and chest dark-coloured, hastening to decay, and offensive almost as 

 soon as the animal is dead. If it is a ewe near her lambing that is 

 attacked, the lamb will always be found dead and putrid. 



Bleeding is the grand thing; on it alone can much dependence be 

 placed ; and if thiT animal is bled at the commencement of the dis- 

 ease, and plenty of blood is taken away, he will usually be saved, 

 although nothing else were done. The jugular is the vein that should 

 be opened here,1)ecause most blood can be procured from it, aiid most 

 rapidly procured— circumstances both of immense importance in such 

 a case. The sheep should be bled until it staggers and falls._ Then 

 comes, as in other similar cases, physic, and this should be liberally 



