MODERN SHEEP : BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 329 



EVEKSION OF THE AVOMB. 



When the womb, or "withers," as the English shepherds call 

 it, of the ewe is cast it is said to be suffering from eversion of 

 the womb. This is a trouble that generally follows a bad case of 

 yeaning and cases of this nature have been known to follow the 

 removal of a dead lamb from the ewe. This is not such a dan- 

 gerous ailment as the novice might imagine it to be upon meet- 

 ing his first case of the kind. If proper care is employed in 

 cleansing and returning the womb to its proper position and the 

 treatment hergafter given faithfully carried out there is no reason 

 why a cure should not be effected. The operator should have an 

 assistant, who lays the ewe on her back and grasping her hind 

 legs gently lift her hind quarters about a foot from the ground. 

 By this method the organs can be readily replaced. The operator 

 should next take a pint of lukewarm water and put into it two 

 teaspoonsful of sugar and one of pulverized alum and inject same 

 into womb twice a day. In stubborn- cases where medicinal treat- 

 ment wdll not of itself bring about a cure a surgical appliance in 

 the shape of a leather band should be placed in such a position as 

 to prevent the womb from coming out. 



GOITRE. 



Goitre seems to be one of those mysterious, insidious and 

 deadly maladies that has long and successfully baffled scientists 

 so far as its cause is concerned. Sheep of all ages are subject to 

 this trouble, but young lambs more especially so. It seems to be 

 more prevalent in some seasons than in others. Sometimes the 

 greater part of the lamb crop is lost or severely damaged by this 

 disease. Many reasons have been advanced for the prevalence of 

 goitre among new-born lambs. Insufficient exercise, an excessive 

 fat condition of the ewe, the use of highly-fitted show rams which 

 have been improperly reduced from showyard condition to breed- 

 ing condition, in-breeding and the drinking water are among 

 them. The writer believes that the trouble is due more to insuffic- 

 ient exercise and to high feeding than to any other cause. A few 

 years ago I had charge of a large flock of Shropshires, which to 

 all appearance were in fine breeding condition ; that is, if full flesh 

 and good condition of the ewe is any criterion. All were bred to 

 imported prize-winning rams, and their rations consisted of roots, 

 clover, bran and oats, to which was a'dded just previous to lamb- 

 ing a small quantity of oil cake. The promise of a strong lamb 

 crop was met with a large proportion of fat, swollen-necked, 

 hoofless and almost boneless freaks, covered with a thin covering 

 of hair rather than the natural curly growth of wool. These 

 prodigies generally squirmed and struggled around for a few hours 



